A Leap of Faith: Neji's Love Story
by BourgoinAtziri
Summary: After Neji's fight with Naruto at the Chunin exams, he starts to question his ideals and wonders what destiny truly is. Kanna, another child prodigy with an upbringing similar to Neji's goes to a series of events that will make her run away from her village and family as she tries to protect her secret power. They both must face their fears just as destiny brings them together.
1. Prologue

The long haired Hyuga boy was sitting on top of a tree pondering about life. He is known by his friends for spending most of his free time training and meditating. He has always been somewhat of a loner, and although he would usually ponder about his past and channeling his anger towards his own family, he doesn't do that today.

He no longer heightens his hate for the name Hyuga, nor the main family or any branch family. Today, he ponders about life and his existence. Ever since the Chunin Exams, he has abandoned the notion of destiny, thanks to a certain blond boy- Naruto.

_Destiny_\- He used to blindly believe that his only purpose was that of protecting the name Hyuga. No matter how strong, capable and deserving he was of leading his clan, this would never happen. He belonged to the branch family and that would always limit him.

Neji's gaze focused into nothing, he just stared at the horizon as flashbacks from his fight with Naruto come to mind.

_*The caged bird being freed*_ He no longer felt trapped

_*The truth about his father's death*_ He finally understood that his destiny was not to die for Lord Hiashi or Lady Hinata, but as his father said in his last moments. -"_To die for someone you love and wish to protect"_

"_What is the purpose of life?, How can I decide what to make of my destiny?" _He thinks to himself as Hinata interrupts that train of thought.

-"_Neji Oniisan- It is time for dinner, will you join us tonight?" - _Lady Hinata asks looking up to the tree.

He bows his head in affirmation after jumping down the tree and silently follows Hinata to the main house in the Hyuga compound.

Thanks to Naruto, he is able to understand Hinata's pain and frustration - always being compared to him and not being sure she'd be good enough to lead the clan. Neji no longer holds it against her, he holds no anger towards her anymore.

* * *

Kanna's had a complicated life. Just as Neji, she is _or was_ part of a royal family herself- The Kobayashi family. She comes from a faraway land that is not shown in the maps. She comes from a village called the Land of Roses located northwest, bordering the land of wind and the land of earth.

To be able to understand how she came to have such a significant role in her family's rule, we must also understand her family's past.

This land was not ruled by a Kage. It followed more of a monarchical system. Her family ruled the land. The absolute ruler being her eldest uncle and the second in power being her father.

Long in the past before she was born, her father Reizo and uncle Hideto competed against each other to win the throne. At that time, their father and then the absolute ruler Hideki decided to split the power equally giving Hideto the upper hand and making him the diplomat with other nations. Consequently, leaving Reizo, Kanna's father in charge of the army and security protocol as chief of war. Their younger siblings did not have much of a say, they were not interested in being rulers. One of them, famously known as the Katana Princess for being a famed warrior in the land and their three younger siblings being more interested in simply being princesses/lords and being married off to other neighboring lands to gain allies, all for the family's sake & rule.

The Kobayashi clan was known for being incredibly strong and harvesting powers never seen before. Their most notorious one being the ability to transfer power or jutsu to another family member in the wake of death without having to teach it to the prospect. If said family member died then the power would awaken in the next in line to be born.

After the end of Hideki's rule, when Reizo and Hideto had just assumed their positions one of the elders fell ill. She was Hideki's sister and she was said to be the most powerful member of the family for possessing _one secret jutsu_ alone. This power was so great that the royal family kept it completely hidden from those who were not blood related.

When the second generation realized that the elder woman was on the verge of dying, they decided to expand the family with the hopes of one of their children acquiring this power. This is how the Katana princess, Hideto, Reizo and another sibling ended up having kids at the same time.

_-If we acquire such immense power, we can refute Father's decision and take the throne with absolute power-_

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only Kanna and the other made up characters._

_I've finally dared to write a story after lurking for so long. Feel free to leave any reviews as I would greatly appreciate it._

_The main timeline of the story takes place about the same time the Chunin exams are over and before the Great Ninja War. But bear with me, I know my timeline will not perfectly match that of the anime._

_Thank you for reading! _


	2. The Days Gone By

As Kanna's generation grew up, their parents watched eagerly waiting for the secret power to manifest and find out which one of the kids had acquired it. But, it wasn't until the age of five, when our heroine showed the first signs of _the secret jutsu_.

It had been a long day of training with her father and twin brother. But these were her favorite days because despite the hard work, she knew at the end of training her father would reward them by taking them to the fields overlooking the village. Bored of the conversation her father and brother were having she decided to go off on her own.

She was playing in a field, running around and picking flowers, she loved to pick flowers for her caretaker young maiden was the only mother figure the twins ever had after their mother had passed when they were only two years old. They'd think of her as a second mother and they loved her just as much. Like her name, Yui was as gentle with them as a mother could ever be. She was a petite dark haired girl of only twenty three, her olive skin tone only made her piercing green eyes brighter, and her beautiful smile would always soothe Kanna.

Yui and her family had always served the Kobayashi family long before she was born. Their loyalty to the family allowed them to know many secrets that not even close friends or allies new about. Despite Yui's young age, her gaze reflected maturity and wisdom. "_You are an old soul & the greatest companion for my kids"_ Reizo would always say to her. Lord Reizo always made her feel as if she was part of the family, and for that she was keen to dedicate all her time to them, as well as pledging her loyalty to them and them only.

After gathering enough flowers, Kanna headed back to her father as she proudly looked at her floral arrangement of pink and purple tones. Her mind not really in the present moment, she wondered if she'll be able to pick a Rose for her bouquet without hurting herself. When she suddenly stumbles upon a dead rabbit. The young girl has always had a kind soul and the image of the lonely rabbit saddened her. As she stared at the dead animal, she carefully placed the flowers on the ground and then broke into tears hugging the lifeless rabbit.

"_Ewww Kanna!.. leave it alone.. Some beast will come and eat it soon_." Said Horus as he leaned over looking at the sight disgusted by her sister's actions.

She kept kneeling down, hugging it and crying over it. Her father was approaching the two kids to see what was going on. But, as he was closing in, he saw how the limp animal started moving again and abruptly darted off into the distance.

He was dumbfounded looking at her daughter.

_Wh-What's wrong father? Ha-ave I done ssomething wrong?_\- Kanna stuttered worriedly looking at her father.

"_You must not do this in front of anyone else Kanna, for the sake of the family..Our family: you, Horus and I. You've done nothing wrong, but it is dangerous if others find out.. Please remember, If anything should happen to me, promise me you two will always stay together". _Confessed Reizo to his kids as he firmly held Kanna by her two arms.

Reizo had to think about what he had just witnessed. He thought about it over and over until he decided to confide in Yui what had just happened. Yui advised that although the discovery could grant him absolute rule over the Land of Roses, it could also damage the relationship between him and his siblings. Ultimately, he concluded it was best for him and his kids to keep the discovery a secret. After all, the relationship between him and his older brother Hideto was rocky and the royal family could fall apart if any disputes arose.

* * *

By the age of 11, Kanna became the Kobayashi family prodigy. She was growing up to be a strong protector of the Land of Roses. At her short age, she was able to assess situations rapidly and process family protocols that neither of her cousins was able to do. Her maturity level was a bit more advanced than other kids her own age.

"_Maybe your tendencies are rubbing off on me dear Yui"_ She said to her caregiver as her long brown curly hair was braided.

"_I've told you this before Kanna, girls always mature more rapidly than boys. You ought to be more patient with your twin brother" _Yui would always explain along with one of her infamous childhood anecdotes.

The set of twins were as close as siblings could be, but oftentimes Horus would get on her nerves. Despite him having a promising ninja career, he was the unruly out of the two and would like to test his boundaries with their father.

"_But I get so upset when he says he's stronger than me. All of them kids pick on me and don't believe I'm stronger than them, even if I beat them when we spar!... They say I'm too small and never take me serious…"_ Refuted a discouraged Kanna with a frown reflected on her face.

Yui could never bear to see the petite girl being upset. She knew her too well, and kanna would never get upset over something so silly and irrelevant. She was too grown up to be bothered by minor things. She knew Kanna's heart better than anyone, and if something bothered her it was not to be taken lightly.

"_Stop sulking, that is so unlike you. Besides, what you lack in height they lack in strength… You and I both know you could beat them all at the same time if you wanted to. I've seen you when you get mad, and I have to say even your father thinks you're scary when you do"_. Said Yui giggling at the end, trying to cheer her up.

"_I can see the laughter in your pretty hazel eyes now...That is the Kanna I know."_ And with that, Yui gently kissed her forehead and watched her depart to her training.

The petite girl knew she had to work twice as hard to prove herself in the eyes of others. This taught her discipline from a young age and it was also the full force behind her determination on becoming stronger. After all, their cousins too had developed fighting skills. But, Kanna and her brother were notably skilled in combat and disciplined shinobi thanks to the rigorous training under their father. The set of twins along with the Katana Princess' two sons became a squad of four under the Chief of War. The group of four were assigned to going on missions and assist the village from time to time. And when Kanna and Horus were free, they would go along with their father to patrol the perimeter around the village.

But, this was all in the past. Kanna was all alone in this world. She had barely been able to escape the Land of Roses and now her past would hunt her at night with memories of the day when everything changed.

Flashbacks of her father and brother overpowering her dreams.

"_If anything should happen to me, you have each other"..._

-She wakes and finds herself all alone in darkness-

"_Promise me you two will stay together"..._

"_Promise me"..._

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Here's the first official chapter to the story! I know these first chapters are a bit short as I try to introduce the characters and theme of the story. This is just the beginning and I needed to paint a background for the story & characters. But, believe me when I say the chapters will get longer as the story progresses. I have a lot coming your way! _

_Tentendeservedbetter: Thank you for reading my story! I'm hoping that as the story develops the chapters will get longer. I already have a clear idea and an outline of how everything is going to play out & yes, this is the very first time I've ever written a story. I was very nervous as to how it would turn out, but so far I am really enjoying the whole process._

_Thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated!_

_I hope you enjoyed this one!_


	3. Top Rookie at The Academy

It was finally the day that Neji had been waiting for. The day he finally graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy couldn't come any sooner. He had spent numerous hours a day training to become a Genin ever since he could remember, he still had memories of his father teaching him the techniques he now knew. "_Everything I'm doing and everything I accomplish I do it to honor you, father,'' _He'd repeat to himself over and over while training and in his moments of weakness. It could be said that even though the death of his father had devastated the young Hyuga boy, it pushed him to become the strongest in the family and thus the prodigy of the clan. Unfortunately, it had also strained his relationship with the main branch family and little by little he became more reserved to himself.

As if this wasn't enough motive to become stronger, he would focus all his anger and despair to prove to them that he could be _better _than any of them despite being a part of the side branch. But, this latter reason backfired on him, as he secluded himself and realized that no matter how much he succeeded, his destiny would only be to serve as a pawn in the game of the Hyuga and nothing else.

Everytime, he'd look at himself in the mirror he would see a powerful ninja. He was better than anyone in his class and he knew it, but glancing at the green curse mark on his forehead would be enough to put him down. It made him feel as if he didn't have any control over his life, it made him feel weak and it made him feel vulnerable. His _fear _would then become rage, as he'd remember how his father had been punished and submitted to such turtore for disobeying his very own brother. The moment that curse mark was placed in Neji was the moment his destiny had been sealed.

He could never share this loneliness and frustration with anybody. He swore to himself to never let anybody see this vulnerable side of him. He was not weak, at least not in the eyes of those who knew him and he was certain to keep it that way, but deep down inside the despair was engulfing him in darkness.

He graduated at the top of his class and even earned the title of top rookie of the year. He was eager to finally be able to go on missions, but his expectations of gaining equally talented teammates were low.

"_I know I won't be grouped with anybody worth getting to know. After all, I was at the top of my class, so nobody can measure to my standards anyways. I hope whoever is in my squad at least is good enough to not slow me down...But, I do have high hopes for whoever my sensei is. I'm sure he'll help me advance my techniques quicker than doing it on my own.." _Neji was thinking to himself as he was walking to the meeting point where he would find out who his team and sensei were. He then came to an abrupt stop as he glanced at the people standing before him. It must have been an error on his part, he thought double guessing himself. As quick as he got there, he turned around to make an escape…

"_GOOD MORNING MY YOUTHFUL STUDENT! I am DELIGHTED to finally meet THE. DISTINGUISHED. HYUGA. NEJI. in this fine morning! Please come meet your talented teammates!.." _Said a strange looking man wearing a ridiculous green spandex suit as he grabbed Neji by the shoulder and dragged him to take a seat.

This action alone was enough to annoy Neji. He always had a chip on his shoulder, but he definitely loathed when people didn't respect his personal space. Already in that mindset, he glanced over at his teammates and he was not impressed to say the least.

"_Tenten?, I believe is her name.. I remember her in my class and she's alright I guess..was she on the top ten student rank? I can't remember for the life of my what her specialty was..aaaand...who else did I...? ..THIS FOOL. I am eternally doomed now…" _Neji said to himself as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in disdain.

He opted out of introducing himself and talking about his goals slightly annoyed by the realization he was stuck with this team. He then proceeded to berate his new comrade Rock Lee when he shared he wanted to become a ninja but lacked ninjutsu and genjutsu. The whole idea seemed ridiculous to him and he could already tell by the way Rock Lee was behaving with his overreacting personality that it was definitely NOT his destiny to become one. Neji knew that he could not come to take his comrade serious enough even if he tried his hardest, Lee was a fool for even trying.

* * *

Neji was walking towards the training grounds where Guy Sensei had requested his presence. It had only day since Neji had found out who his teammates were. This morning he had been hoping it had all been a nightmare, but now he found himself standing in between Lee and Tenten staring at his ridiculous Sensei make a fool of himself. He had appeared to be walking on his hand all the way to the training grounds from Kami knows where.

Neji continued to zone out as Guy Sensei explained that today he would measure his abilities against him. He watched his teammates attack the flamboyant character with disapproving eyes. Neither Tenten nor Guy were able to lay a hit on their master. When it was Neji's turn, he decided to finish for once and for all with the silly activity. But, to his surprise Guy sensei was able to dodge every single one of his attacks. This only angered Neji even more, and without even realizing it Neji was giving it his all to beat his contender.

Using his Byakugan, Neji approached Guy Sensei from behind. As Neji tried to land a hit, he was suddenly thrown off by an immense force. Guy Sensei was quicker than him and kicked him in the stomach. As soon as Neji stood up he received a punch on the side of his ribs, coughing up blood he aimed for his attacker's Chakra points. He tried to move as fast as he could, but it was futile. Instead of landing any punches, Neji was on the receiving end. His anger had gotten the best of him, Neji would not walk away without at least hitting him once. He ran up straight towards guy and used his gentle fist, the force of his attacked only helped launch him further away as a Guy had taken advantage of the blow and used it to hone his own attack. The force of Guy's defense threw Neji against a tree making a dent in it. Neji now laid on the floor with his head down holding back tears of frustration. _How..Am I to lose against such fool!... _He thought to himself as he had questioned his own abilities. He felt as if he had been humiliated in front of his teammates, although it was more than certain that Guy would win this battle, He was Neji's sensei and superior after all. He walked away in disdain not wanting to face his comrades and went deep into the forest to cool down. Meditation always helped him evaluate his actions. He'd meditate over his battles and techniques as a kid, this is how he gained many of his clans techniques only intended for the main family. _I let Guy Sensei get under my skin..and I see now that I was fooled by his demeanor. I underestimated him, but I see now that he is a rather strong opponent. I can see how he can help to develop my skills..But he's still a fool who loves to embarrass himself publicly..._After finally coming to terms with his defeat, he was able to acknowledge that Guy Sensei was indeed a very powerful Jonin despite him being the biggest moron he had ever met. After that battle he started gaining respect for his sensei. Neji finally welcomed Guy sensei's guidance and most methods of training. It still would be a long way before Neji would be open to the ridiculous punishments Guy would come up with, such as carrying his teammates around Konoha and Neji was sure as hell he would not succumb to wear that hideous green spandex suit that Lee had happily accepted. As for the relationship with his comrades, it still would be a long way to getting accustomed to them and acknowledge their strength. It wasn't until their first mission outside of Konoha that Neji began to bond with Tenten and Lee.

* * *

The first missions that Team Guy fulfilled where simple. They were more like a service to the community rather than the thrilling adventures the young ninja expected. These simple missions were merely an exercise to introduce Team Guy to the process of being assigned, completing, then reporting back, and to get the Guy's pupils used to working with each other. The Hokade was impressed that the team could complete a mission after another in no time, and shortly after they started they scored top three on the amount of assignments they had finished. As a result, he assigned them to their very first mission outside Konoha.

That morning, Neji was training in the Hyuga compound when one of the servants approached him to let him know a young girl was there to see him. He was surprised as he wasn't expecting anybody and wasn't sure who it could be. He glared at Tenten who was standing by the entrance and was very bothered by the fact she had interrupted his training. What could she possibly want with him? They weren't friends and he was secretly hoping she wouldn't ask him to help her train. Tenten didn't necessarily volunteer to come talk to Neji. She had been forced by Guy sensei to go retrieve him and let him know the Hokage was requesting the Team in his quarters. She caught Neji's discontent right away and as soon as he was within hearing range she explained herself. "_Before you say anything...Guy sensei sent me to get you because the Hokage wants to speak to our team". _She hoped that was enough to keep Neji from biting her head off for intruding in his routine.

The moment Neji heard the word Hokage his whole demeanor changed. He had forgotten what he was angry about. Without wasting a second he just muttered "_Let's go" _not even letting Tenten process what he had said as he grabbed her by the hand and ran towards the Hokage building. Tenten was taken by surprise by Neji's reaction, this was one of the few times she had ever seen him in a good mood. She was just hoping that the Hokage would give them good news and that they weren't in any trouble. It was oddly interesting seeing a very enthusiastic Neji, Tenten could tell he was excited, but his face was still not showing any emotions. Their first interactions were awkward, but eventually she started getting used to Neji's seriousness and she started learning his mannerisms. Her two comrades were complete opposite from each other. One lacked emotion and the other one was over dramatic. She wondered in what category she would fall in compared to those two, and the more she thought about it she decided that she would be the bridge to unite the team and bring those two together.

Once in the Hokage's office, they eagerly waited to hear the news. The hokage entered the room accompanied by an Anbu with a scroll and as he sat at his desk he started talking. "_It seems that Team Guy has been doing a good job at completing their local assignments and Guy Sensei has advised that you three are ready for more responsibilities. Therefore, I will be assigning you to your very first mission outside the villag…." _Said Hiruzen Sarutobi when Lee interrupted him by screaming in delight. All it took to quiet him down as one of Neji's death stares. Lee felt the powerful gaze over him and felt like his chakra dissolved from his body the moment he made eye contact with him. At that moment he questioned if Neji's death stare was actually more lethal than his Byakugan.

"_As I was saying, today I will assign your team to a new mission. You are to take this scroll", _He said handing it to Neji. "_And you will make sure it is delivered to the Feudal Lord who lives in the village by the Kanabi bridge. It is still in the land of fire but it's bordering the Hidden Grass Village, so be aware of your surroundings at all times. You are to leave tomorrow first thing in the morning, meet at the Konoha entrance and don't be late. This isn't a game anymore and I wish you three the best". _The Hokage warned with all seriousness. He did not want their first mission to end up in a tragedy, but he was confident they would be successful. The team was dismissed and each shinobi went their separate ways to prepare for the next day's journey.

Neji woke up around 4 to be able to train before leaving for the mission. He didn't have to leave Konoha until six, but he had always been very disciplined and despised tardiness as well. He got to the meeting point 20 minutes early, but he didn't mind, it was better for him since he could use that time to meditate a little. The next one to arrive was Tenten, he saw Neji seating on a tree with his eyes closed as she approached, but chose not to interrupt whatever he was doing. She had pretty much learned her lesson the morning before when she went to the Hyuga compound. He opened his eyes after sensing her presence and was met with a good morning from her, his instant reaction was to smirk at her and with his arms crossed. It was a miracle she thought, two days in a row that Neji was in a good mood and she hoped the streak wouldn't be broken. As time passed and they started training together along Guy Sensei and Lee, she could actually see some progress in her and Neji's relationship. It was as if he didn't think of her as much of a burden anymore. She welcomed the idea that maybe someday he'd see her true potential as a ninja and maybe she would earn his approval. Maybe one day the three of them could even become good friends. She was sure it would happen eventually as they would spend more time in missions together.

Lee was the last one to arrive and although he wasn't necessarily late Neji had already given him an attitude over taking too long to arrive. The team departed Konoha as the sun rose to the sky. The three shinobi and their sensei made their way through the forest. All the excessive training they had endured under Guy sensei had paid off since they had already come a long way and were barely getting tired. "_This is where we stop,"_ Said Guy sensei. "_Ahh, the power of youth in Spring… You three have made me proud today, we have covered a significant distance towards our final destination. But as powerful and young you are we must stop and rest for the day before the sun sets. We'll camp out here, but we must be alert of our surroundings. We just never know when we'll be under ...ATTACK!"_ He screamed as he caught Lee off guard landing a hit on him. "_GUY SENSEI!" _Screamed the three young shinobi in unison. "_Why do you always have to be so extra Guy sensei!". _Exclaimed Tenten. Lee was holding the top of his head teary eyed condemning himself for failing his sensei_, _thinking he should have done better and Neji standing against the three crossing his arms and a stern look on his face.

Tenten started a fire and was setting up camp, Neji was using his Byakugan to look at their surroundings making sure there weren't any threats, and Guy sensei and Lee practiced their Taijutsu before going to sleep. The night went by quietly and soon they were up and on their way to deliver the scroll. They must have been close to the border when suddenly they were ambushed by a group of three rogue ninjas. Lee was jumping from one branch to another when he saw a kunai knife flying in his direction, he was able to dodge it but in doing so, he missed his landing and was falling when Neji grabbed him by the arm pulling him to another tree. Since he was distracted saving Lee from the fall one of the rogue shinobi approached him to land a punch on him. Lee countered the punch that would have knocked out Neji to the ground.

Guy sensei was busy fighting one of them off and Tenten was holding her ground as the third one was attacking her with his jutsu. Tenten pulled out her scrolls summoning her favorite weapon: an old school kusarigama she had acquired after graduating the academy. She managed to dodge his kunai bombs, using her weapon she trapped her attacker suspending him over a tree branch. On the opposite side was Neji had been shocked to have missed the attacked directed towards him, he was glad he could count on Lee and thought that maybe he had underestimated him a little. He snapped out of his thoughts as the ninja tried to attack him a second time, Lee had gone off in the direction to Guy who was still fighting with the leader of the group. Neji landed a _Gentle Fist _on the ninja and activated his Byakugan to hit his main Chakra points and disable him. Having gotten rid of the second shinobi, Tenten and Neji headed in the same direction Lee had gone. Neji looked over at Tenten and she nodded indicating that she still had the secret scroll they needed to deliver.

They found both Lee and Guy Sensei fighting off the last standing man. He seemed to be more powerful than the other two, he was probably the leader of the squad, and Guy Sensei looked to be struggling. Seeing that his team had been defeated, the rogue shinobi activated a smoke bomb and ran away. When the smoke had been cleared Lee was kneeling over Guy Sensei who had been injured. Using his Byakugan, Neji was able to see that Guy a small cut on the side, nothing too serious. Then, he realized that Guy's chakra was being neutralized by some dubious substance. "_The weapon that injured Guy Sensei must have been tainted with poison". _He said matter-of-factly not too preoccupied. "_Someone must stay guarding him until he gains conscience again, but we must deliver the scroll in time". _Tenten gasped at the idea of splitting the team, but it was more reasonable than just leaving Guy sensei behind on his own. Neji explained that the poison used was not life threatening but a substance that would knock someone out for a period of time. She was glad it hadn't been lethal, none of them were medical ninja and therefore, they were not carrying any antidotes. "_I WILL GUARD HIM WITH MY YOUTHFUL LIFE..I WON'T FAIL YOU GUY SENSEI! _Exclaimed Lee holding Guy's hand. Neji rolled his eyes but agreed with Lee's decision. Lee and Neji carried Guy to a hidden area where he would be safe and Lee waved at his comrades walking away. "_I believe in the power of youth!...GUY SENSEI WOULD BE PROUD! COME BACK FOR US SOOOON…..". _Lee could be heard in the distance as the other two left.

Neji and Tenten headed for the Feudal Lord's land hoping they would not encounter the last shinobi. He noticed that Tenten looked a little shaken by the encounter or maybe it was his presence that made her uncomfortable. He was actually very taken aback by both Lee and Tenten's performance. He finally was starting to acknowledge his two teammates and started to feel that maybe they weren't too bad after all. "_Tenten...what you did back there was impressive"_ Hearing these words coming from Neji almost made her trip, her face turned a deep shade of red as he continued, "_You did a good job guarding the scroll, I am glad I can count on you when the squad is under attack". She_ finally looked at him and her face must have given her away. Neji was looking at her quizzically not understanding why she was blushing so much. He was just trying to diffuse the tension the attack had caused.

"_Oh? Ohh..Thank you Neji, it means a lot to hear this from you..since you are always so cond…since you..uhh..since you seem to have high expectations from us" _Tenten started nervously.

"_Were you about to call me.. CONDESCENDING? Would you care to elaborate more? _Asked Neji glaring at her.

"_Well..Neji.. You see, sometimes it feels as if you think you are better than us, which in my opinion you are ..." _She blushed again. "_But, it also seems that you don't think we are good enough and it's a bit intimidating" _She finally was able to confess. A long pause followed her last statement and she looked over at Neji to see him deep in thought. She started to apologize and back track what she said when Neji finally spoke.

"_You are right, Tenten, I did feel that way at first but I can now see that both you and Lee are capable shinobi. My apologies. It seems like my destiny is to be a part of Team Guy and from now on I won't undermine any of you". _Spoke the young Hyuga.

"_Neji, why are you always so methodical towards everyone?..and what is it with you and that obsession with destiny?.. _Tenten asked worried that she might have intruded into his life and expecting to be scolded by him.

To Tente's surprise, Neji decided to answer her questions..Actually she kind of regretted asking them in the first place. She did not expect Neji to be able to talk so much since he would always be so quiet and to the point. He talked about his ideologies and how their destinies had already been written since the moment they were born. Then he went on to give her a brief 101 on the Hyuga Clan, their Kekkei Genkai, his Byakugan abilities…. Neji could really talk if you asked him the right questions, she thought it was very out of character from him, but she was glad they were finally sort of bonding.

She was glad when they finally reached their destination and delivered the scroll to the Lord. She had never seen such a beautiful compound, it was a beautiful house surrounded by a garden with all kinds of flowers and a pond on the side. She never thought she would ever set foot in a place such as this one. The Feudal lord questioned why there were only two young shinobi delivering the scroll. Neji quickly caught on unfazed by the scenery (he was used to the high life thanks to being a part of the Hyuga Clan) and quickly explained the missing two Shinobi had decided to stand guard nearby in case anything would happen. They quickly handed the scroll to him and accepted payment for their troubles and went on their merry way back to the spot where they had left their comrades.

They were walking through the forest and talking a bit more. Tenten told Neji how she decided to become a shinobi and shared about her love for collecting weapons, she opened up about being an orphan and told him her parents had passed on while going on a mission. Hearing this, he decided to share his past, what had happened to his father, the whole Hyuga affair, and the reasons why he was working so hard to become the Hyuga's prodigy: To get back at his uncle and the main family. Tenten realized that he had suffered a lot and she was very sympathetic. She realized that Neji was actually very down to earth and now understood his distant behavior towards others. She was bothered by how his own clan had been treating Neji after his father's death, but she still questioned Neji's perception of destiny. Tenten never thought of her fate as being predetermined. She knew she was all over the place and was just going with the flow of life, but she understood that her own actions would determine in what direction her life would go. Despite this disagreement, she was happy about him being able to open up to her and that he would try to cooperate with the team a bit more.

Back in their hiding spot, Guy started to regain consciousness he started mumbling something Lee could not make out. "_Something about hanging?...The worst hanging...The worst hangover after a night of…. "GUY SENSEI! DO NOT REPEAT THAT AGAIN! IT HURTS MY YOUTHFUL EARS TO HEAR THOSE WORDS COMING FROM YOU" _Lee had been scarred for life.

Tenten and Neji heard shouting coming from Lee's direction. They rushed towards the two concerned they had been intercepted by any more rogue shinobi. When they finally made it back, Lee was violently shaking Guy trying to snap him out of his disturbing dream. The violent act awoke Guy who was still unable to stand and walk on his own. Thankfully he was able to summon a red ninja tortoise. He stumbled from one side to the other and got on top of it "_Run at light speed my youthful companion, take me back to Konoha!" _The tortoise slowly walked as Guy was balancing on one foot. Neji and Tenten glanced at each other unimpressed by their companion.

"_Maybe it'll go faster if you put it swims Guy Sensei!"- "GREAT IDEA DEAR LEE" _Replied Guy excitedly.

"_Guy Sensei! But, Tortoises can't sw…."_ Neji scorned the two as Tenten interrupted him.

"_There is no point...don't argue with these bakas, besides we are in luck, there is no water nearby. We can tell them when Guy Sensei comes to his senses"_. Exhaled Tenten questioning how those two airheads had survived this long.

Team Guy finally arrived to Konoha after their first mission. The way back had been longer since Guy Sensei had been..indisposed for some time. When the Hokage asked how the mission went, they all looked at each other. Guy Sensei said they were successful in delivering the scroll to the Feudal Lord, recounted in much detail the encounter with the rogue ninja, but chose to omit the part where he spend half of the mission unconscious. The other three shinobi looked at him with a sweat drop rolling down in their back of their heads. He chose to omit the part where they had to babysit him...But they all agreed that their first mission had been a success! They had been able to deliver the scroll and most importantly, they bonded together and became closer to each other and have to take care for the fool they had for a sensei. The three were dismissed from the Hokage's office and directed to the training grounds while Guy stayed behind to talk to Sarutobi. Only if they knew that while the mission had been real, the rogue ninja were a group of Chunin testing their skills and Guy's illness had been an exercise to bring the three young shinobi closer together.

* * *

_Authors Note: I don't own Naruto._

_I know it took me some time to update. But this chapter is definitely much much longer than the others! I think that what I'll do from now on is that I will be uploading chapters every Friday/Saturday. This will give me time to write the story during the week and really get into the story._

I hope you enjoy reading this one! I'm happy to hear your thoughts on this chapter and I apologize if there isn't enough action. I'm still learning how to be more detailed with those action scenes.

Thanks for reading!


	4. On The Run

She was running through the forest that surrounds the Land of Roses. She ran for her life as she evaded the attacks of the ninjas who had been pursuing her through the shadows of the land. She knew she was almost there, she only needed to get past the forest and to the clearing, then she'd be able to escape by running along the cliff. Next thing she knew, Kanna's being tackled to the ground and she's fighting for her life. The only thing she could focus on as time slowed down was the sound of the kunai knives against each other and for some odd reason, she was able to vividly remember the break of dawn. Then, without any warning she's falling.. Time returns to normal and she is falling down the cliff; she remembers seeing a familiar face watching her from atop. She could hear her name being yelled out and the horror in those eyes as she was falling to her certain death…

_Darkness.._

She slowly gained consciousness and her body ached all over, but she was trying to move despite the pain. Not being able to see clearly, she heard a sweet voice telling her not to move and to stay calm. With her vision a bit blurry she could only make out the shadows of two people in an odd place she had never been before. One of the shadows handed some herbal tea and her mind started getting cloudy again as she succumbed to her exhaustion.

She awoke again and asked where she was. Her vision slowly started coming back and only then, she was able to see the unfamiliar faces of an elderly couple. They were both staring at her not really knowing what to say at first. She looked around for a second and noticed she was inside a run down cabin. How they were able to protect themselves during winter she was not sure of. She finally turned to look at them when the female spoke.

"_Sweet child, please take it easy..you have been badly hurt. Do you have any family or remember where you come from? We found you unconscious by the river. We don't have much to offer, but we couldn't leave you there on your own. You are welcome to stay with us until you get well." _Offered the old lady while her husband reluctantly looked at the two. He knew his wife was trying to do the right thing, but they could barely feed themselves and now they had to provide for Kanna as well. They were farmers who could barely afford to live. The crops had not been doing good that year and were now suffering as a result of the war going on between feudal lords in the region. They wondered if Kanna was a victim of the war and she had been left behind by the army marching East. She did not look like a peasant girl judging by her clothing, but it was also extremely unlikely to see nobility in that area.

Kanna understood their position by looking at her surroundings and she was grateful she had been saved, so she offered them the little money she had brought with her. "_Please take this as form of my gratitude for your services. I promise I won't be a bother and as soon as I get better I will help bring food to the table until I am able to leave. As for my family ..."_ She hesitated. "_I don't remember what happened or where they are…." _She knew she had to be cautious and could not afford to get caught by those pursuing her. She still didn't know where she was or whether she was still being hunted down by those ninja.

After asking a few questions, she realized that the current in the river had dragged her down out of the Land of Roses and past the border of the Land of Stone. How she survived the fall and managed not to drown she did not know; Maybe she was able to get to shore and walk or maybe she stayed in the river somehow. Either way she could not remember, but she was grateful she was still alive. She had also deduced that it had been at least three days since she had escaped and that gave her some reassurance that she was not being pursued any longer.

As the weeks went by, Kanna became close to the couple, worked in their crops and helped them with daily chores or simple jobs in neighboring farms. She was able to get some money to be able to feed herself and her caregivers. Slowly, she regained her strength and started thinking about what she would do once she was completely healed. She was torn between staying in the farm and helping the poor village of farmers. She was eternally grateful to the elderly farmers and was concerned about their well being. But, she knew deep down that she had a goal she needed to fulfill. The very reason she decided to flee the Land of Roses and she couldn't put it off for too long.

_Justice..._

She was no longer the girl she used to be before the day she lost everything. In a way, the girl she used to be had died when she fell off the cliff.. That innocent and sweet Kanna was no more. She was still the kind-hearted girl she used to be, but only to those who truly deserved to see that side of her. She grew to be cold and reserved from those around her and she would no longer blindly put her trust in just anybody. The only people she was able to feel something for were those who had helped when she was in need and expected nothing in exchange from her. She truly regarded them as family, almost considered them her grandparents, but she was still cautious around them not wanting them to discover her true identity.

The day when she finally parted ways with them reminded her of all she had lost all over again. Those images came crashing down on her like never ending waves, and suddenly she felt as if she was back in the river drowning. She said her goodbyes and promised to write to them, she promised herself that she would come back and help them or try and send them funds as a way to show gratitude for everything they had done for her.

* * *

As Kanna made her way to the next village over, she kept thinking about the time she spent with the elderly couple. _It's a funny thing that those who don't have much are the ones who are willing to give the most even to someone they barely know. _This thought alone made her hopeful for the future and proved to her that there was still some good in the world. It contradicted her first thoughts after fleeing her homeland and made her hopeful that maybe someday she'd find a place where she could belong. Maybe that would be a second goal worthy of fighting for, but her first was to find the one at fault for turning her life upside down. She thought to herself that maybe someday she could go back to her homeland but she doubted it would still feel like home, not after what had happened. She had a rude awakening to the harsh reality outside the high life she once had, but she found comfort in the simplicity of the ordinary days where she didn't have to answer to anybody. She gained some humility in the last couple of weeks, and she also gained a sense of freedom. Back at home, her family had too many expectations of her and expected her to behave a certain way, which she didn't really mind. She was proud to be what she was and believed that everything would be alright in the world as long as she followed through with what was expected of her. It was as if being born in the Kobayashi clan was her calling and that her life had already been set for her, she simply needed to embrace what being a Kobayashi was. How wrong she was to assume people only acted in good faith. How could she had been so gullible? The harsh reality was that people would betray you, even if you always did right by them, even if they were your family.

While walking down the road, she couldn't help but notice the odd looks farmers and travelers were directing towards her. After all, it was unusual to see a 12 year old girl traveling on her own. Not that she was worried about it, she knew very well she could defend herself from any foe, and on top of that she also had acquired _The Dragon _before she had left the Land of Roses. She made it to the outskirts of the small province but noticed she had ran out of money. She found it harder to come across an easy job with the locals in this town. Most people kept giving her looks of disapproval or kept shooing her out of their shops as if she was begging for money. There had been many attacks in the village and it was also plagued by crime, so the locals had grown skeptical of foreigners. But to even doubt a hungry child was beyond heartless.

Slightly annoyed by the rudeness of these locals she could not understand their reasoning. _Fools, Don't they see that they are pushing me to do the very thing they are trying to keep me from doing? And here I thought adults were the smart ones… _She thought. How ironic it had for Kanna to be accustomed to people tending to her all the time and never exposed to the hostility of strangers. _If only these people knew of her status._ She thought but quickly dismissed the idea of making herself known. She needed to forget about that, her status didn't mean a thing anymore and she could not have used anyway if she didn't want to be found. She was appalled to know that she was now the subject of prejudice and misconceptions. To think that a girl so noble and sincere would resort to a life of crime and theft was disheartening. _What would father even think of me right at this moment? _She questioned herself, but dismissed the negative thoughts and memories of her family. She was a survivor and for that, she needed to do anything and everything she could even when nobody gave her a chance. And since she had already tried in vain to win money by doing honest work, then she would try a completely different method.

With no other options left, Kanna decided to become what the locals had wrongly accused her of. She found herself a place to remain in the village until she found out more about who the culprit of her misfortune was. Meanwhile, she started stealing food and money from unsuspecting travellers and incompetent feudal lords who'd love to gloat and visit the brothels. She discovered she had a knack for it. In fact, she was a natural at fooling others and committing theft. Growing bored of robbing the typical drunk, she realized that she needed a bigger catch and no, the best place to steal from was not the bank. Banks were for rookies. She walked around the village analyzing which places people where the most vulnerable… She had tried bars, restaurants, parks…. And in that moment, she suddenly had a realization: This particular village was a tourist attraction for its many natural hot springs. Unsuspecting people leaving their belongings behind were easy prey. So she began scheming a plan and a set schedule to rob the hot springs and not get caught by alternating locations situated in opposite sides of town.

Her master plan was a success. The authorities had been looking for the thief but so far, nobody suspected her for any of the crimes. She was able to freely walk around town during the day, and in the evening she'd hit her targets. She had obtained a rather large sum of money, jewelry and other precious objects; at some point she was able to get her hands on a beautiful bottle of perfume. The Art Deco design on the bottle had caught her attention, but what surprised her the most was the scent of the perfume. It smelled like home, it was a scent that reminded her of the Land of Roses. She tried hard to remember whose scent that was and then it hit her: _Yui…. Yui, I wonder how you're doing and if you ever think of me...I wonder if you think I'm dead and I wonder if my family is treating you well..I miss you…_She thought to herself as she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. In all the time she had spent away from home, she had not thought about her beloved nanny until now. The scent of the perfume brought her vivid memories of her and the not so distant past. It brought her to tears to think that so much had changed in such a short period of time as one day she was surrounded by Yui, Horus her brother, and her father. One day she was surrounded by love and now she had nothing, now she was surrounded by darkness and deafening silence. She tried not letting those dark thoughts overwhelm her, but it was too late. That night she cried herself to sleep, and that perfume became her most prized possession.

In the middle of all that sadness something positive did happen. Kanna managed to fulfill her promise of sending some of the stolen goods back to her temporary family who had previously saved her. She had found a merchant who would go back and forth to the town where the elderly couple lived. Kanna was not completely certain the merchant would stay true to his word, but she had no other choice than to put her faith in him. It wasn't like she was in need of the funds she was sending away. Sometimes she would even indulge in going to the hot springs and enjoy her baths. She would chuckle at the signs posted all over the hot springs warning visitors to be alert of the hot spring thief.

* * *

Kanna started her weekend off by preparing her tactics for today's thievery. The previous week had been slow, but she knew many people were visiting the hot springs this weekend thanks to an unusual wave of heat that had reached the town overnight. She decided to get there early and just wait until the hot spring would get a good amount of individuals.

She got herself ready, had some breakfast and just before noon she was out the door and making her way to the hot spring in question. She was pretending to be just visiting and spent a good amount of time enjoying the warm water. As the spring started getting crowded she decided to go back to the changing room and put a different set of clothes on and going incognito. While she was in the changing room, she noticed some older ladies had left their belongings behind, she grabbed a small backpack and rummaged through the unsupervised bags. Kanna's attention was drawn back out to the hotspring, she noticed a noblewoman wearing a beautiful golden necklace with precious stones around her neck. _Who in their right mind wears something like that to the hot springs? Who is she trying to impress anyway? _Kanna thought rolling her eyes. Throughout the time she had been ransacking the hostprings, she had learned one thing: Never wear jewelry while soaking yourself in the water. She had seen it too many times, noblewomen wearing jewelry, getting too hot by the warmth of the hotspring and taking off the precious objects and leaving them to the side. _That's how things get lost. _Observed Kanna, a smug little smile appearing on her face.

She sneaked her way out without being seen by the ladies, they had been too focused in the town gossip and whatever shallow things feudal princesses like to talk about. Kanna was quietly crawling to her usual hiding spot when she realized it was already occupied by a big, white haired weirdo. She sneaked up behind him and observes carefully what he is doing.

"_Either you are a very big unattractive hag or you are a weirdo, but if you were the first then why would you be hiding? _Asked Kanna deep in thought, tapping her chin nonchalantly startling the gentleman who was able to drown a scream, which otherwise would have blown his cover.

"_Oi! Little brat! You know you aren't supposed to be stealing from others.. Right, young lady?_ Scolded the man glancing at the backpack full of stolen goods as he grabbed her by the arm making her lay low behind the bush so that the women wouldn't noticed them.

"_You know you aren't supposed to be spying on naked ladies... right, you perv? But...If you give me some coin I won't say a thing"_ Kanna sneered with a smirk on her face and crippling Jiraiya's accusation and blackmailing him in return. She earned a panicked frown from the old man as he struggled to explain how he had gotten caught red handed.

"_I WAS N...HOW DARE Y..IF YOU MUST KNOW..What I'm currently doing is for the sole purpose of research. I do not take pleasure in doing such questionable things, but an author's gotta do what an author's gotta do" _Exclaimed Jiraiya masking the fear of being ratted out by a young brat and feeling slightly embarrassed that she had managed to sneak up on a high skilled ninja such as himself.

Kanna looked at him skeptical making him even more nervous…

_Oh no, She's about to tell on me, what am I going to do? These ladies looked so appetizing and now I've not only been rudely interrupted but she's going to tell them..._He thinks not being able to avert his gaze off her stoic look. Kanna squints at him suspiciously and thinks for a moment then a huge smile appears on her face..

"_Well... in that case! If you pay me double the coin..I CAN SHOW YOU A BETTER SPOT TO CONDUCT YOUR RESEARCH OLD MAN"_ she said as she dragged a skeptic Jiraiya away from one hot spring to another one. Jiraiya was frozen still unable to process what just had happened and the fact he had acquired a minion for his research.

Kanna had grown up and was very mature for her age, but sometimes she could be a bit of an airhead. Jiraiya had gotten lucky that maybe Kanna still held some of that innocence when it came to the situation in hand. Yes, she could care less about why he was spying on women and she might be willing to help him for the money, but at least she chose not to snitch on him.

"_This might be the start of something good" _Jiraiya muttered with a sheepish grin on his face as he was still being dragged to the next hot spring.

She dropped him off behind a barrier of rocks that were just over a waterfall and a larger body of water. He looked at his surroundings and complained he wouldn't be able to see anything from there. Kanna glared at him, he was a bratty old man after all. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up over the rocks, she then told him to look down towards the water. Jiraiya's eyes almost popped out their sockets and he felt his blood rising up about to spill out of his nose. "_Beautiful naked sirens, sunbathing by the shore." _he kept murmuring inebriated by the sight as Kanna kept glaring at him indifferently.

"_I brought you to my best spot, so pay up old man" _Kanna was demanding slightly annoyed by his behavior. He proceeded to give her a good tip for the insight and she prepared to run off with her bounty.

"_Wait young lady. What is your name and where are your parents?" _Jiraiya asked gaining some common sense back and realizing she couldn't be more than 13 years old.

"_My name doesn't matter and I am on my own.."_ She said as she was starting to run off.

"_WAAAAIT...How do I find you so you can show me more hiding spots? I'll give you a good pay!"_ He quietly shouted so that the young maidens below wouldn't be aware of his presence.

"_Meet me here tomorrow at noon! And DON'T get caught or you'll ruin my business!" _Kanna could be heard shouting in the distance as she exited the hot spring through what Jiraiya thought was a secret entrance.

_What a weird character that girl is...She is somewhat of an airhead but very smart at the same time, a walking contradiction indeed.. Her business? She calls her sets of robberies a business?..._Jiraiya contemplated as he stared at where the peculiar girl had been standing. He was deep in thought until he heard a new group of young women entering the newly discovered hot spring. He chuckles to himself as he stares at them, and on that note, he forgets about Kanna and gets back to lurking in the sacred name of his dubious research.

* * *

Author's Note: I don't own Naruto

Surprise! I am uploading this chapter early!

I had to include Jiraiya, he is one of my favorite characters and we'll get to see a lot more interactions between him and Kanna in the next couple of chapters.

Tentendeservedbetter: I know exactly what you mean! So, this time around I tried to fix those fragmented sentences in the chapter although I still am able to find a few. I'm glad you liked Kanna's introduction to the story. I'm still deciding in which direction she'll go regarding her family in contrast to Neji's. Both of them will have a similar upbringing but I'm leaning towards Kanna's perception of her clan being different from his. But only time will tell!

Thanks for reading!


	5. Kanna & Jiraiya's Chronicles

The following morning Jiraiya woke up ecstatic at the thought of that strange curly haired girl showing him new hiding spots where he could creep on more women. He had been drinking the night prior in celebration to such great discovery and despite having a bit of a hangover he decided to leave his hotel early in the morning to roam around the town. A bit distracted by a new bathhouse he had stumbled upon, he decided to investigate well aware that he needed to meet up with Kanna in a couple of hours. He was disappointed for having paid the entry fee to the bathhouse and finding out that it was not the mixed-gender type and not being able to get over himself, he decided to sneak into the female's section. Regrettably for him, he could not contain his excitement when he saw a group of beautiful women entering the private garden and discovered him staring at them. The women began to scream frantically and a bunch of males stormed into the area alarmed by their screams, but them being there only caused even more commotion. At the end, Jiraiya was apprehended and interrogated by the proprietor of the bathhouse.

The whole ordeal had caused him to be late to meet with Kanna, on top of that he had also been banned from that said establishment and his perversions had earned him a few punches from some of the ladies he had been creeping on. He finally reached the meeting point where he had agreed to meet the mysterious girl. It had been that same spot where she had dropped him off the day before, but she was nowhere to be found. He decided to lay on top of the rocks just how he had previously done to start lurking hoping that today would be his lucky day again and he'd be able to spot a few more of those naked mermaids sunbathing. He figured that Kanna would either show up later or she had bailed on him, not that it mattered because to be honest, he felt he had lucked out finding that particular spot.

Jiraiya looked down towards the waterfall and the hot spring, but to his disappointment there was not a single soul present today which made him a bit uncomfortable. _Had that girl set up a trap for him to detain him for his pervy ways?, _He had thought he had convinced her that it was for the sake of his research, but he was growing more suspicious by the minute. After waiting for some time and nobody either showing up to meet him or to visit the hot spring, he decided to venture down to where he wished the young maidens were. He walked around the body of water and took in the beautiful sight of the waterfall; the area was a perfect spot to camp out if he were on a mission from Konoha. He imagined being on a mission with Tsunade and bringing her here, and then..well, Jiraiya started being his pervy self…

He walked along a small river connected from the pool of water and it was only then when he noticed a small body laying on the other side of the river bank. He grew worried looking at the small girl as he walked closer and closer, she looked to have been beaten up badly and was now unconscious. He wondered if this was all a trap, Kanna had given him the impression that she could very well take care of herself, even if he was ignorant to the fact that she was an actual Kunoichi. He tried to sense any chakra nearby and cautiously approached the unconscious thief while being on high alert just in case anybody tried to ambush him. He stared at her, not really knowing what to do but not willing to leave her exposed to any more danger.

The sight of an unconscious child brought him back to when he had been a part of the last Ninja war. He had been named a legendary Sannin along with his teammates Orochimaru and Tsunade, and on their way back from a battle he had encountered a group of three small orphans. It seemed that deep down inside in his pervy heart, the sage had a soft spot for children in need. In that moment, the girl reminded him of those three children he had chosen to take care of and who later on would become his pupils. "_I told her not to get too close to the people,'' _The memory was interrupted by the toneless voice of a young girl. Somehow, Kanna had managed once again to sneak up on Jiraiya, he needed to work on not getting too deep in thought and neglecting his surroundings. She looked at him quizzically as he stared at the unconscious child. The reminder of his former pupils made him do something he didn't expect, he glanced at her in disbelief of what he was about to do and carried her over his shoulder in the direction of his hotel. Kanna looked at him baffled and followed close behind. "_What do you think you are doing? I won't let you do anything to her… You pervy old man! I've seen what you do at the hot springs!" _Kanna argued with him and kept frowning at the memory of him peeping. "_Oi! Little brat! I might be pervy in some ways, but I am not that depraved…" _Said as he blushed a little and looking somewhat indignant at her comment. He ignored her complaints the rest of the way until they got to the hotel.

Once in his room, he was able to tend to the girl's injuries, none of them had been serious but just enough to knock her out. He was glad he had been able to pick up a few healing jutsus from his time with Tsunade and as a Sage and managed to fully heal the younger female. Kanna looked attentively and with wonder as Jiraiya was slowly making the marks disappear. He asked her for help lifting the girl's upper body when he suddenly froze, he stared at her in disbelief looking at the two curse marks Kanna bore in her body as they have been uncovered when she had leaned over . Jiraiya needed to find out more about them, he had been traveling the lands doing research for his books, but most importantly, he was on a lifelong mission trying to find an old comrade and this girl could be the key to finding him.

The two finished tending to the smaller thief's injuries and sat there looking at her resting. Jiraiya asked Kanna if she knew who the now sleeping girl was but there was no response in return. He tried to make conversation with her by explaining how he had been able to heal her wounds even if he wasn't a doctor.

"_I won't hurt your friend, I can at least promise you that. I have been traveling through the land of fire for some time now and I have mastered my Sage training and picked up a few healing techniques from an old comrade". _Jiraiya elaborated. "_I am a Ninja, that means I have certain powers and can develop chakra that other people can't…" _He was cut off and looked at the girl in disbelief.

"_I know what a Ninja is old man…." _Kanna replied showing annoyance in her tone. "_I.. It was my fault this happened, she is my friend and I taught her how to rob the people in the hot spring, but I told her not to do it by herself and not to get so close to them. They must have grown suspicious and were ready to catch me, but they got her instead. It should have been me." _The poor girl frowned as regret washed over her.

"_You gotta do what you gotta do to survive" _Was all Jiraiya said deep in thought as Kanna looked at him surprised that he was able to understand why they were committing these crimes.

After waiting for the young child to wake up and being able to talk to the Sage, Kanna finally began to trust him. They had spent the entire night conversing about the hot springs, she explained that she had been trying to find decent work but was pushed to commit thievery due to the merchant's rejection. She even mentioned that she was helping the older couple by sending them funds weekly, but she was still too skeptical to tell him more about her life. On the other hand, he had told her about his travels, tried showing her his latest book in vain as she quickly dismissed it as being too vulgar. Jiraiya got up and exited the room as soon as he noticed the sun rising in the horizon, he came back shortly after with enough food to feed the three and Kanna and him started eating as they waited for the younger girl to wake up.

"_My name is Kanna, but I don't remember where I come from and don't know if I have any family left" _They had been eating in silence when she finally confessed as she looked down at her food. The sage was very receptive and understood right away that Kanna was being cautious around him. He deducted that she was lying by omission, but chose not to overstep. He knew that in time, she would open up to him but for now they had made great progress in opening up to each other and after getting to know the young girl a bit more, he felt the need to take her under his wing and look after her. Maybe it was about time he took up the role of Sensei once again and take a new apprentice, he suspected that Kanna was no normal girl whether she knew it or not and would eventually witness what she was truly capable of with time.

The younger girl finally rose from the bed and stared at the two eating. She froze looking at the old man with fear in her eyes, but Kanna reassured her that he was not going to hurt them and offered her some food. Jiraiya watched sneering towards the girls as Kanna was scolding the younger brat for not following her directions. It almost looked like Kanna was scolding her child and thought that she was a bit frightening when she was mad. He pulled out his small notebook and noted not to piss off the fiery young girl. He found out that the youngest brat was named Niko and that her family was a couple of farmers who had not been doing good with the season's drought. She quickly said her goodbyes and left to reunite with her parents and siblings not too excited at the thought of them scolding her for not going back home the day before.

Kanna looked over at Jiraiya about to take her leave, the sage told her to come back and offered her to become his assistant. She looked at him and questioned what the position entailed growing wary at the thought of having to sneak into more hot springs to creep on women. He reassured her that she would only be helping him with small chores such as writing messages, putting his book together, gathering his belongings when traveling. He told her that if she indeed wanted the position she would be willing to leave the town and travel along with him. She thought about it and knew she could no longer stay in town and not having any other place to go, she accepted his offer also being interested in learning jutsus from him. He told her they were to leave the following day just before the break of dawn, so she needed to collect her belongings and bring them to his hotel that same night.

The brunette girl ran to what had been her home for the past months, she looked around to collect any valuables she still had and seeing that she had too much stuff to carry with her, she decided to pay Niko a visit and leave her some of the precious objects she had acquired through time. She made a second stop on her way to Jiraiya's hotel, she looked for the traveling merchant who had been delivering goods to the old couple and gave him everything else she could not carry with her and told him to give it to them instead. She made sure to keep enough money/goods to last for at least 6 months, a few valuable objects and the perfume. She then made her way back to the hotel to find Jiraiya being a pervert and trying to pick up a whore on the street. Kanna frowned at the sight "_DAD!..What do you think you are doing? Mom is looking for you and she is FURIOUS!". _She said scolding him and dragging him into the hotel as the embarrassed sage was turning a thousand shades of red. "_Oi! Little brat! You don't have to embarrass me like that!"_ Whined Jiraiya breaking a sweat and looking at her smug smirk.

The next day, they left town and walked East in the direction of the Hidden Rain Village. They had been engaged in conversation and after a few hours they decided to take a small break to rest and eat. Kanna had never traveled so far from the Land of Roses and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. She was mesmerized by how the land was so different from her home and how it drastically changed the further away she went. "_I want you to train me as a ninja" _She broke the silence while she ate despite not revealing that she was one and a highly skilled at that. He looked at her incredulous and decided to test her by throwing a kunai at her, which she easily dodged.

"_Ohhhhh..But it seems that you already are a Kunoichi..Would you like to tell me more about that dear Kanna?". _She glared at him and mentally scolded herself for being discovered so easily.

"_I don't remember much of my past, all I know is that I had an accident not too long ago and that I am highly skilled in combat..I discovered it while getting away from an angry mob after robbing some idiot feudal lord" _She huffed and looked away pouting.

The sage decided to train her for the next few months as they traveled around the land "doing research" for his next book. He was surprised as to how skilled she was and was growing more and more suspicious of her true identity the more she trained and learned from him. He was concerned about the nightmares that would haunt her at night because she would have them often and seemed to deeply disturbed her. He couldn't help but wonder what on earth had happened to this child, but he was happy she was finally able to trust him and open up about her past little by little.

One day after training, he finally decided to ask about the curse mark on her neck hoping that she would give him any insight on Orochimaru's whereabouts. "_Say, Kanna.. I couldn't help but notice the mark on your neck. How did you get that? _She looked at him and gave him a vague explanation as to how she got it.

_"You know, I know someone who also bears the very same mark"_ He mentioned hopeful that the brunette girl would be drawn to tell him more about it. Him and his sneaky ways of picking up information, it was no wonder he had been in this lifelong mission to collect any insight on his former comrade.

_"I...hhad been attacked by this snake looking man during a mission. He ssaid he wanted my Jutsu but was not able to get it at the end. So now I am looking for him! I need to find him!" _She exclaimed with tears appearing in her eyes. A mixed of emotions showered over the girl as she remembered the day she encountered Orochimaru ignorant of who and what his goal was. The only thing she knew was that he had been the culprit for her misery and now she had found hope that maybe her Sensei would know more about him. Little did she know that all this time they had been traveling together was to gather information about his whereabouts. Jiraiya assumed that if he was to tell Kanna about Orochimaru then she too, would decide to share the details of how she came to fight him.

"_The snake man, as you call him, his name is Orochimaru and he used to be a dear friend of mine. I know what you are thinking, but he used to not be the way he was. His thirst for power corrupted him to become the monster he now is. He is one of the three legendary Sannin just like I am, and used to be a part of my team when we were younger. Sadly, he decided to defect the village we come from and leaving us all behind. I have been tracking him ever since, with the hopes that maybe one day I will either make him come to his senses or to put an end to his charade". _Kanna listened carefully to her sensei, shocked to find out the monster who had destroyed her life was once a loyal shinobi and close friend of his. She did not judge her sensei, she had come to know him, grow fond of him and even trust him in the short time he had spent training her. More importantly, she understood the concept of betrayal. She had gone through the exact same thing with her family, so she did not judge but listened and decided to share a few fragments of what had been hunting her every night in her dreams.

"_My father was the Chief of War in my land, we used to do a perimeter check around the village every morning and just before sunset. One day, we were patrolling like we usually did and all the sudden the bells rang to warn us of intruders in the village. Long story short.. We were surrounded and the Snake man attacked me, my father defended me and.. And.. He died in the process. The snake man cursed me and I couldn't save my father.." _She quietly sobs looking away hiding her tears in embarrassment. "_That's why I must find him...Orochimaru".. _She savored his name greeting her teeth in anger.

"_Kanna, You and I will work together to find him, but I advise against seeking vengeance. I will do anything in my power to find him and to help you get stronger, but I beg you not to cave into darkness or that will be your demise. You got the sweetest smile I have ever seen, but I can still see the sadness in your eyes, don't let the hate and anger dim the light in you." _Jiraiya looked at her sympathetically and hugged the curly haired kunoichi. He had grown very protective of her and regretted not being able to stop Orochimaru before he had hurt her and anyone else.

"_Crying will get me nowhere..I do not seek vengeance, I seek justice_" Kanna replied bitterly as she hugged her Sensei.

It had been the first time Jiraiya had seen the young girl so vulnerable and he disliked seeing this side of her, she was indeed a walking contradiction and he could barely believe that the same bubbly and kind girl held so much inside of her. He vowed to be his mentor and guide her out of the darkness that was starting to consume her, he would try and save her just as he had tried and failed to save his and Tsunade's old comrade: Orochimaru.

* * *

Author's Note: I don't own Naruto.

I took a break from posting last week, but will be back to doing it every Friday or Saturday.

Enjoy this chapter! Next one will be about Neji, I'll try to alternate until the two story lines meet.


	6. Dreams

Winter had come and gone in the blink of an eye. The ground was no longer covered in snow but it glistened as sunshine reflected in the tiny droplets clinging to the blades of grass and the morning welcomed a cool breeze the dying season had left behind. Neji had been training long before the morning sun made an appearance; he had always enjoyed training in days such as this one because they dispersed a sense of serenity and stillness in the atmosphere. He slowly stopped his motion opposite to how his body had rapidly been spinning around just a few moments ago, his face was dripping in sweat but his body welcomed the chilled air he was inhaling during the short break he took. Then, he continued to practice the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven once again, his father attentively studying every single movement Neji made and advising him to follow the steps he had given him. They spared together practicing the art of the gentle fist and after their training session they sat in by a pond in the Hyuga garden to complete their routine with some meditation. Neji stared at his father as he spoke of the Hyuga destiny and commended him for being so talented in combat, he closed his eyes while continuing to listen to his Hizashi's voice until it faded into the darkness of his mind. He opened his eyes once again but only to see the white ceiling of his bedroom and realizing it had all been a dream and life had played him a cruel joke. A mix of emotions came pouring down on him, he felt content for the opportunity to reminisce about his father and grateful for the chance to see what life would have been like had his father survived _The Hyuga Affair, _and yet he felt his body growing numb and the bitter taste of resentment overwhelmed him.

It had been years since he had lost his father and nevertheless he could still remember Hizashi's voice and his passive yet imposing personality; He was most impressed about his father paying him a visit in his dream and looking exactly the same as the last time he had seen him him. Since his passing, Neji had swore to honor his father in every decision he'd take, in every action he'd make, to live life the best way he could and to keep him in mind always, but for some odd reason he never truly understood, he would rarely dream about Hizashi only being able to count with his fingers how many times he had done so in the long years after his father's death. The young prodigy never liked to dwell in the "what could have been" because what was done was done and he knew that sulking about the past would only make him grow more bitter about his destiny. He had grown resentful towards the main family, especially his uncle Hiashi whom she blamed for his father's demise.

He didn't allow his mind to linger in sadness for he had mastered to stay cool and numb out the pain in his heart. It was only past five in the morning after all, so he decided to visit the Hyuga garden he had previously dreamt about to clear his thoughts and meditate being glad that his home in the Hyuga compound was on the opposite side from that of the main family's; the thought of encountering any of them today irked him to no end. Maybe he'd go to the training grounds to meet with his team after meditating before everybody in the clan woke up and if he was lucky maybe the Hokage would assign them to a mission taking them out of town for the next couple of days.

The young Hyuga had arrived early to the training grounds as usual, so he decided to meditate some more while waiting on his comrades knowing how rigorous their training session would be with Guy Sensei and Rock Lee taking it over the top. He smirked and shook his head thinking of those two. _who would have known they'd start to grow on me, _He thought to himself at the realization that he'd rather have their company instead of Hiashi and Hinata. Although his comrades could make him lose his temper in record time, they made him feel less lonely and made him forget who he was being able to see himself as a Ninja only. It had been hard to admit to himself, but the Hyuga prodigy secretly enjoyed spending time with them (_antics and all_) though they would never hear this come out of his mouth.

Soon, one by one each member of Team Guy arrived to the training grounds. They did their usual warm ups as they waited for their sensei to arrive and once he was there they started sparring. Tenten was observing the spar between her two teammates after being easily beaten by Neji on their first friendly battle of the day. She had come a long way as a Kunoichi mastering the arts of weaponry after struggling to find her calling. She did not want to be the weakling in the team and had trained just as hard as Lee had to become stronger, but today something felt odd to her; She felt as if their training had been rougher than usual and now while watching Neji and Lee spar against each other, she distinguished an underlying sense of hostility radiating from the fight and as perceptive as she was she knew this negative sensation was coming from none other than Neji. Naturally, Lee was only reacting to Neji's determination during the fight seeing it as a challenge to push himself harder in hopes of finally beating his youthful rival to no avail, Neji had caught lee on his Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms and realization of his loss washed over Lee as he found himself on the ground a minute after.

After sparring, The three young ninjas and their master prepared to jog around Konoha's perimeter to finalize training. Tenten ran next to Neji and grabbed him by the shoulder to get his attention, she felt his body stiffened under her hand and immediately regretted her previous action. Neji never liked any form of contact with other people, much less having his personal space invaded in such a way especially by strangers but Tenten was not a stranger and he knew she didn't mean any harm, so he suppressed his annoyance and locked eyes with her. He realized she was hesitating to speak and just to show her he had no problem with her he decided to ask if she needed any help with a softest tone he managed.

"_Tenten, is there something wrong?", _He cooly stared into her eyes.

"_Well..I was wondering if there was something bothering you today, Neji. You seemed more stern than usual and I wanted to ask if everything's okay with you.." _Tenten trailed off as she realized she kept rambling on. His gaze made her anxious although he didn't seem to be disapproving of her, it was a usual feeling she'd get every time she talked to him.

"_My apologies if it seems to be that way" _He simply replied as he picked up the pace while they were still running leaving her behind.

Tenten stared at his back as his figure became smaller in the distance and couldn't help but wonder what had gotten onto him. They had been teammates for quite some time now and although she had gotten used to his stern personality she had noticed he had been able to loosen up a tiny bit when he was around them. So, when she saw his slight change in demeanor back to his old self she couldn't help but wonder if anything had happened with his family. She started wondering what it was like for him to be a part of the Hyuga and the thought of the prodigy carrying so much pressure on his shoulders while knowing _his destiny _saddened her; She wanted to help him in any way she could and make him feel like he had the support of his team, but maybe he just needed to take some time for himself for now. She concluded that she would keep her distance and eventually he would open up to her and Lee on his own time.

The young ninjas made their way through Konoha in the direction to the Hokage's building followed by their Sensei. They had finished their _marathon_ around the village and to everyone's surprise Neji had insisted to volunteer for any mission available being backed up by an extremely eager Rock Lee so Guy Sensei and Tenten couldn't refuse. Once in the Hokage's office they stood quietly in front of the Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk. Neji stared expectantly in the direction of Guy Sensei requesting a mission for his team and making a valid case for themselves. After giving it some thought, Hiruzen decided to assign Team Guy to a rescue mission considering it would not be too high risk for the talented shinobi.

"_We had sent out a team on an independent mission and only one out of the three ninjas was able to make it back to Konoha. Her team members had been hurt while attempting to return and it's most likely they're hiding, waiting to be rescued. There shouldn't be much risk encountering enemies as their last known location was near Kisaragi village". _He elaborated as he looked at each one of the young teammates.

The mission had some risk to it and usually would not assign it to a such a young team, but Neji, Tenten and Lee had proved to be more than capable. He had been a bit disappointed when the year prior the team had declined to take part in the Chunin Exams, had they completed the exam that year he was sure they would have been Jonin by now, but he also applauded their patience and team ethics and new their decision had been for the best of the team.

Tenten, Lee and Neji gathered around half an hour later at the Konoha gate and waited for Guy to show up. It was as if Guy sensei had picked up on Kakashi's tendencies when it came to arriving in a timely matter, but they had long grown accustomed to their Sensei's odd habits, this one being one of the most normal out of them all. Once the team was complete, they headed out to Kisaragi. There was no point in rushing to get there, the sky was a gradient of orange and pink announcing the fast approaching nightfall. They walked silently side by side until Neji caught Lee glancing at him now and then until Neji finally broke the silence.

"_Lee, what are you staring at?_" He finally barked out as Tenten watched with a frown appearing across her face.

"_Neji, I have a serious question to ask you as my youthful rival_" Neji and Tenten looked at Lee somewhat intrigued and concerned. Guy Sensei had fallen behind while daydreaming about Kakashi.

Lee paused for a couple of minutes thinking carefully about what he was about to say and building up the suspense floating in the air around them.

"_GO ON LEE!" _Tenten snapped.

"_Neji… Now the we have grown more fond of each other as teammates, would you… Would you tell me your secret, please?" _Lee had never looked so serious in his entire life.

"_What secret?"_

"_Your secret… What's your secret for being to having the prettiest hair in Konoha?"_

"_WHAT?!" _Neji's Byakugan activated in queue as he was gritting his teeth and looked at Lee and Tenten back and forth.

"_Well, you see, I overheard the girls" _Tenten started cautiously backing up towards Guy Sensei the moment she knew where Lee was going with this. "_And you were named the Ninja with the prettiest hair in Konoha, I have to say it had been a difficult decision between you and Kakashi Sensei.. But, I have to agree with their decision" _Lee explained as he looked into the distance and held his chin.

"_TENTEN?! Would you care to explain yourself?!" _Demanded Neji squinting his eyes and looking right at Tenten, who now hid behind Guy Sensei. To her misfortune, Guy had been oblivious to the exchange of words, he ordered the team to stop for the night and make camp and Tenten didn't have another choice but to explain herself to Neji.

"_Well, There isn't much to say, but the girls and the rest of the Konoha 11 rewarded you with the title of the Ninja with the prettiest hair in the village.." _She said giggling embarrassed, a sheepish grin painted across her face.

Neji's eyes flashed red and scoffed as he decided to walk away and sit down by the fire, he had decided he would stay up and keep watch of the camp while everyone slept. Tenten decided to stay on the opposite side of camp slightly embarrassed and annoyed at Lee for throwing her to the wolves. He didn't quite understand why his teammates were suddenly upset, not too concerned about it he quickly forgot about the situation and shifted his focus to his master.

The following day they found themselves near the village where the missing shinobi were. The sun shone right above them while they looked through the forest surrounding Kisaragi, they split into pairs and went on opposite ways. Neji easily spotted one of the victims with his Byakugan and made sure there weren't any enemies who would ambush them while Tenten helped the hurt shinobi and tended to his wounds. She excused herself and explained she was no medical Ninja but bandaging his wounds would be just enough to get him safely back home. Shortly after, they met with the rest of the team who had been able to find the remaining missing shinobi and made their way back to Konoha, the journey would take a day and a half considering their pace had slowed down due to the pair of ninjas they were escorting back. The rescue had gone smoothly with no incidents but that didn't mean they would not encounter any hostilities on the way back.

Neji kept his Byakugan activated in case they were followed back. The sun was about to set when Neji felt a presence quickly approaching them on the side, he alerted Lee whom seemed to be the target of the attack and hurried to shield him from it failing to get there in time. To his surprise, Tenten jumped in front of Lee and activated one of her weapons scrolls spitting out a bunch of chains that blocked the chakra infused knives. Neji sprinted in the direction of the enemy and landed a punch in their shoulder. He glanced at his forehead protector and deduced it was a rogue jonin from the Hidden Rain who had managed to crossover to the Land of Fire. The rogue ninja took this moment to wound Neji with a kunai knife laced with poison and quickly jumped back. The voices of team Guy were becoming louder as they were approaching; Neji was holding his injured arm when the ninja rushed him again but he was able to dodge the blow by jumping to the side. He quickly turned and tried to use his gentle fist, but the attacker countered with a water release jutsu that sent Neji backwards and hitting a tree, he then tried to stand when he saw the offender approaching but collapsed to the ground. The hidden rain ninja was coming closer to him and started forming more hand seals and just as he was about to finish, Neji closed his eyes to brace himself for impact and try to counter the attack when out of nowhere he sees a green flash appeared before him and with a kick sent the attacker flying backwards. Tenten rushed towards Neji and helped him get up while Lee unhinged the eight gates a new technique he had acquired on the water style user.

Neji and Tenten rejoined the group and waited for Lee to get back, Tenten approached Neji who had a look of defeat splattered across his face. She knew too well how proud he was and he probably felt slightly humiliated at being beaten so easily.

"_Neji, don't be too hard on yourself my youthful student! Although you don't realize it, the poison slowed down your body and made you vulnerable to the incoming attacks. Otherwise, I know you would have handled the situation in record time" _Guy Sensei tried to comfort him.

"_Vulnerable...A Hyuga is never VULNERABLE" _Neji muttered in disgust low enough that only Tenten was able to hear.

Lee sprinted back to check up on Neji and hugged him glad to see that he was fine and back at being his regular grumpy self. The Hyuga frowned at the unwanted form of contact but softened his gaze allowing himself to revel in the odd sensation of being cared for by his colleagues. They had decided to make camp and Guy sensei had chosen to be the one on guard duty for the night so that everyone else would get some rest; Neji and Tenten were sitting by the fire while Lee tended to the other two comrades.

"_You know, you could ease up when you are with us. I think of Team Guy as family since I don't have one of my own"_ She warmly smiled at Neji and he shot her a puzzled look in return. "_I can only imagine what is like to live under so much pressure coming from the Hyuga Clan, but think of us as your family please, we will never look down on you even if things like today happen.. You know we consider you the strongest of us, so don't be so hard on yourself and don't patronize us by thinking we can't protect you just the way you protect us. I hope you don't still think of us as weaklings" _She elaborated as she placed a hand on his shoulder and a sweet grin on her face.

"_Tenten, I have acknowledged you and Lee long ago". _Confessed Neji while closing his eyes. 

* * *

Back in Konoha Team Guy proceeded to the hospital to drop off the ninjas and get Neji's wounds tended to. Fortunately, the wound in Neji's arm had been superficial and the poison hadn't been life threatening, it had only served to numb out his body and slow him down. He was quickly discharged and Guy sensei had dismissed them for the day since he had to report back to the Hokage. The three young ninjas decided to go training and were heading to their usual spot when Neji stopped all at once. He looked back at them thoughtful and told them they'd train in a different spot this time around. He then headed to the Hyuga compound followed by the puzzled pair following him behind.

It was the first time both Tenten and Neji set foot inside the Hyuga compound and never in a million years had they thought they'd see this day. Several pairs of white eyes stopped and stared at their direction but quickly dismissed them after seeing they were being accompanied by the Hyuga prodigy. Nobody would there to approach them and question Neji for bringing his comrades to the compound except for one of the guards who was already walking towards them. Neji glared and before the guard could say a word he crossed his arms and stood in front of his friends and between them and the guard.

"_These individuals are my teammates. Therefore, I do not require permission of the head of the clan to bring them inside the compound"._

"_Very well Neji-Sama, please disregard the inconvenience" _The guard excused himself and turn in the direction of the main house, Tenten and Lee looked perplexed and Neji kept walking the opposite way.

Hiashi watches the exchange from his house and observes the young ninjas walking towards Neji's house when his thoughts were interrupted by the guard who had initially approached the group but he quickly dismissed him and kept looking in the direction of his nephew's dwellings. _Neji deserves some type of freedom after everything he's gone through, besides this freedom also serves as a reward for being held so highly by the Hokage _he thought. He acknowledged Neji's strength and his prodigy status due to his advanced skills. He felt himself conflicted and wasn't sure whether to see his rising power as a threat or an opportunity to mend old wounds.

He remembered the day he informed young Neji about his Hizashi's death. He watched as the spark in Neji's eyes died just like his own father had and couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought of letting Hizashi sacrifice his life for him, so he took Neji under his wing and let him live in the main house. The young boy would watch his uncle train by himself and train his daughter Hinata, but Hiashi would have an apprentice of his train Neji because he wasn't allowed to learn some of the Hyuga's techniques exclusive to members of the main family. So, he was taken by surprise when Neji had managed to learn some of those techniques on his own just by simply observing him. "_He's a natural" _Hiashi spoke under his breath as he started reminiscing about his younger brother; Hisazhi had always been the strongest out of the two and Hiashi allowed himself to wonder how things would have turned out had Hiashi and Neji been the main family instead, as it was clear to him that Neji was meant to be the lead the Hyuga. He thought of his daughter, Hinata and resented her for not being more assertive and focused like his cousin. Hiashi was not one to believe in fate as much as Neji did, but he believed in the old customs long ingrained by the Hyuga as he grew older. He resented his daughter for making him look like a fool in front of the clan and decided to become more strict with her to no avail. Neji's accomplishments started to have an effect on the way the older Hyuga thought and ideas of making amends with his nephew started to manifest in his mind.

On the opposite side of the compound, Team Guy arrived to their destination. Tenten and Lee stared astonished at the beautiful training ground behind Neji's home as he told them this secret area could be their second official training spot; his teammates looked at each other in understanding and trapped Neji in an embrace he couldn't escape from. This action truly reflected that Neji approved of them and acknowledge their strength as equals.


	7. Kanna & Jiraiya's Chronicles II

It had been 8 months since Kanna decided to become Jiraiya's apprentice. During that time, they mostly traveled between lands looking for leads on Orochimaru, Kanna started training under the Sannin and last but not least they gathered research for the upcoming release of Jiraiya's new book (activities that Kanna recoiled to each and every time). Despite having to endure the humiliation of being seen with a creep, Kanna had become quite close to Jiraiya, they bonded immensely in the time they spent together and he sort of became a father figure to her, although sometimes she'd be the one doing the parenting. Dependending on her mood, she would go from being his accomplice and help him sneak into Hot Springs to editing his stories and critiquing his literary work, though other times if she was feeling mischievous she would prank him into getting caught by the women he was spying on and getting him chased off by an angry mob and in return, he would retaliate and get back at her in some other humorous way.

The dynamic the two had fallen into truly seemed like that of a father/ daughter relationship, one that Kanna had unconsciously yearned for ever since leaving her land and for the first time in a long time, she felt like the kid she should have always been, she cherished feeling safe around him and not having to be constantly fearing for her life. She was amused by his odd habits and his vulnerability into falling for her pranks. But most importantly, he had become someone precious to her whom she knew would give his life to protect her and vice versa, she acknowledged his immense strength and wisdom, and yet, she still hadn't shared with him her past and the reasons she had fled the Land of Roses.

She grew very fond of the old Sannin and trusted him to the point of becoming her most loyal pupil and correspondingly, being able to gain her trust was an accomplishment the old man was very proud of. The bond they developed only deepened when he confined in her his life mission of finding Orochimaru and promising her the justice she was seeking. It certainly had been hard for him to come to terms with Kanna's hate towards his old comrade, but he knew his friend had become a stranger consumed by his thirst for power and greed. Ever since the day Kanna confessed about her encounter with the snake man, Jiraiya felt a need to protect the lonely girl even if she did not need protecting. He was impressed by how long she had managed to survive on her own, he sensed strong power radiating from her and her audacious personality only made her more of a force to be reckoned with and yet, everytime he looked into her eyes he could see the sadness in her and he didn't know how to get her away from the darkness. She was still haunted by her nightmares at night, he could see the fear in her face as she yelped, tossed and turned while she slept and the helplessness washed over him as he was unable to help her. Those moments only intensified his concern about her past and so he began her ninja training thinking that gaining some insight on her Kunoichi talents would give him any clues about her traumatic life. After all, gathering information was Jiraiya's specialty whether is was information for his books or intel from enemy villages.

When the training had first started, Jiraiya suspected that Kanna had received some sort of special training on her early childhood judging from the stealth skills she showcased back when they had first met at the Hot Springs village although he had yet to see her in combat. So, when the legendary Sannin first started training her, he was astonished by her swift moves and her effortless wielding of weapons. _She is truly talented and must have occupied an essential role in her village _Jiraiya contemplated as he evaluated her skills.

=Flashback to their first training =

"_Kanna, you are truly talented but how did you come to be so highly skilled for a petty thief?"_ The snarky comment landed him a punch on the face and the fact that Kanna was left handed caught him off guard each time she tried to land a hit.

"_..."_

"_Ow!...You don't have to hit so hard or you'll end up with no master and then who will publish the latest Icha Icha book in the series?!"_

Kanna stared at him with disdain as she disappeared and attempted to sneak up on him, but Jiraiya intercepted the second blow she had aimed towards him.

They continued sparring until he finally managed to trick her into submission. Jiraiya had decided to test her strengths before coaching her on ninjutsus. He needed to see what Kanna had to offer and hone those abilities before the training could get serious.

"_If you don't get serious and show me what you got I'll make you go into the Hot Springs and do some research on the men's area for my latest book idea -5O Shades of Icha Icha-" _This one snarky comment finally caught her off guard, causing her to miss a step and stumble backwards.

"_RASENGAN" _

She heard him say as she was suspended in the air and let out a small cry with fear expecting him to use it on her. She felt her back touch the ground and saw him standing over her, the sunlight shining behind him casting an aura behind his silhouette and darkening the front of his body. She tightly closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, but after hearing Jiraiya cackle she snapped them back open and watched as he slowly guided a **mini** Rasengan towards her stomach and when it finally made contact the only thing she felt was but a mere tickle. Jiraiya kept snickering and teasing her for having lost the battle after she had almost managed to beat him. She was mildly annoyed by his childish reaction but he had won the battle fair and square after all.

"_Oi Kanna! Kanna! Are you ticklish? Did my lethal Rasengan get you this time?!" His pettiness was not over just yet._

"_..."_

"_Kaaaaaaanna… Why are you so quiet all the sudden? Why are you MAD?_" She rolled her eyes as his mockery continued. Sure, sometimes her wise, strong and powerful master would irritate her, but seeing his sheepish smile made her happy and his infectious laughter was highly contagious.

"_You know…"_ He said more serious now, "_If you had grown up in Konoha, you would have grown up to be invincible. Konoha offers the most skilled shinobis in all the land of fire and surrounding areas"_ He stated with his chest sticking out proudly.

".._Kono..what?..What is even Konoha?!_" She retorted bluntly rolling her eyes aiming to hurt his pride. She knew this was the land he had come from but vaguely heard of it in the land of roses since it was a faraway land.

"_WHAAT?! YOU MUST BE LIVING UNDER A ROCK IF YOU DON'T KNOW KONOHA!"_ He yelled in disbelief his face turning red and horror reflecting over his eyes.

"_You see this? This is what proves you are a shinobi in Konoha, every accomplished Ninja wears one of this" _The Sannin pointed at his forehead protector smiling from ear to ear proudly.

"_I'm stronger than any other shinobi living there" _She pouted condescendingly. "_But I don't have anything to show for my accomplishments"_ She whispered lowering her head, the confidence evaporating as she said the last words.

They sat under a tree to have some lunch and take a break from training and discuss their strategies to find Orochimaru. The conversation continued on:

"_So, I see that you are very skilled in combat..Do you have any jutsus as well?"_ He looked at her switching the topic after he made a mental note of what she had just mentioned.

"_I...I have a few that I could show you.. Also, there is one that I am supposed to hide from everyone. I've kept it a secret from everyone for so long, but you are my Sensei and I wish for you to know about it so you can help me perfect it"_ She looked at him warily.

"_Just promise you won't tell anyone"_

Kanna looked around to find just what she was looking for to demonstrate her secret jutsu: The one that had caused her deep conflict in her family back in the Land of Roses. She stood up from her spot and slowly walked towards a dead tree not to far from where she had been sitting with Jiraiya. He gave her a puzzled look but didn't say a word and continued to study her every movement. He almost choked on his food as his eyes were popping out. Suddenly, everything made sense and he understood Orochimaru's reasons for attacking the Land of Roses and going after Kanna. Jiraiya had just witnessed Kanna perform a pure reanimation jutsu on the dead tree that now looked as vibrant and green as it had ever been. Jiraiya could not make sense of what he had just seen Kanna do, this jutsu was one he had never known to exist until now.

She came closer to him and looked at him expectantly as if waiting for him to react. Her legs felt weak all the sudden and she could only hope that he wouldn't change his mind about training her after finding out her biggest secret. They made eye contact and Jiraiya crossed his arms and closed his eyes, it was something he did often in order to think and focus on different matters; the only thing Kanna could do was wait as the uncertainty of what would happen next as she felt her heart pounding out of her chest.

"_I now understand why Orochimaru went all the way to the Land of Roses"_ He started still deep in thought.

"_You often mentioned that you thought it was just an attack to your village and that you had thought your father had been their main target until Orochimaru attacked you. He has always been obsessed with finding the secret of immortality, I have vague memories of him talking about it while were out in missions. My theory is that he was trying to seek you out and study your reanimation Jutsu since it doesn't seem to be anything like the one he created, but how he find out about you and your jutsu is still a mystery". _Understanding washed all over the Kunoichi as she analyzed every word her Sensei said.

"_He left this mark on me after he bit me and he cursed me with it...NOW I HAVE MORE OF A REASON TO PURSUE THIS EVIL MAN" _She said pointing at the curse mark she bore on her neck and suddenly standing up with confidence.

Jiraiya glanced at the mark and remembered Anko from konoha. He thought of placing the same seal the Hokage had placed on her but stopped as he started to think of the possibility that maybe since Kanna had a Reanimation Jutsu she would be able to purify the mark instead of sealing it.

"_I completely agree with you, we must continue our search for him, it has been a long mission set upon me by Konoha and by myself as well. But first I must go to Mount Myōboku and find out if we can get rid of your curse mark. You will stay here in town until I get back and with a poof he suddenly disappeared" _He stood up and towered over the young girl.

"_Mount Myōboku?" _The puzzled girl questions carefully as if savoring the name in her mouth.

= End of Flashback=

Ever since Jiraiya had come back from _Mount Myōboku _he had shifted the focus of his research from his books to the reanimation jutsu. He had brought along dozens of scrolls that him and Kanna would read with the hopes of finding something helpful and learn more about the mysterious jutsu. It had been until today that he had been able to come up with a purification jutsu based on the reanimation one that Kanna already had. She would have to try it on herself in order to purify the curse mark and hopefully deactivate it. If they were to track down Orochimaru he did not want to risk Kanna's mark activating if they encountered him.

She weaved some signs just as Jiraiya was instructing and placed her palm on her left shoulder. She closed her eyes trying to concentrate as Jiraiya's words guided her next moves; a wave of energy surrounded her body as if it was absorbing it and chakra started flowing to the spot where curse mark had been placed, she felt a cool tingly feeling much like when someone heals you with chakra washing over her shoulder and only stopped when the feeling ceased. They both looked at the curse mark changing color to a light pink and turn into a scar that looked to be healed long ago. They glanced at each other with a stunned look across their faces and gasped at the same time grinning and hugging each other celebrating their success.

"_NOW I CAN GO BACK TO SPYING..RESEARCHING FEMALES IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT" _He exclaimed.

Kanna's joy was short lived and her eyes squinted into two small slits in her face. She lightly punched Jiraiya in the shoulder and dragged him out of the Hotel and all the way to her favorite restaurant, the Korean BBQ across the street.

"_We are NOT doing anymore research today Old Man! We are celebrating!"_ She growled. The pervy sage had discovered that angering Kanna could prove to be more dangerous than encountering Orochimaru himself. Therefore, he decided to comply and settle down across from her.

He made his escape just after they had finished eating. The opportunity had risen when Kanna had gotten up to go to the restroom and he told the waiter that she would pay the bill, then he made a run for it and as soon as he crossed the restaurant's treshold he set his eyes upon two lovely gals. _Hmmm that one right there looks like Tsunade, _He thought as he approached them.

"_Hello lovely ladies" _The Sage spoke gallantly and the girls looked at him with a flirtatious look painted across their faces.

"_How would you two like to accompany me to th…"_

"_Daaaaaaad, where have you been? Why did you leave me and mommy back in the restaurant? She's mad and she's coming towards us to bring you back!" _Kanna popped in between Jiraiya and the two young maidens, she looked at them as she grabbed Jiraiya's hand and she pointed at the angry lady stomping in their direction. The two girls Jiraiya approached looked at the older and rough looking lady then glanced at Jiraiya and scoffed as they walked away.

"_Kanna, you evil minion! How did you manage to piss her off and play along with it? Who is she anyways and couldn't you find me a more attractive fake wife?" _He lightly pulled her hair in annoyance.

The rough looking lady pulled his ear and dragged him back to the restaurant. She had turned out to be the restaurant owner and Kanna had told her that Jiraiya was trying to leave without paying. It was perfect timing, she thought: she had managed to get him in trouble for ditching her but also had managed to embarrass him and cut short his little plan of taking those women back to his hotel room. She loved to snoop around and torment him every chance she got.

After the restaurant drama, they found themselves walking down the street making their way to a yet again another Hot Spring. Jiraiya was in a better mood now, Kanna might have ruined his previous plans but he'd make her pay by taking her to his favorite spot in town. They walked side by side deep in conversation when Jiraiya froze and motioned her to stop.

"_Kanna! Do you see what I am seeing?!"_

"_Black cloaks with red clouds...It's the Akatsuki!, didn't you say Orochimaru was part of it?!" _She exclaimed, both of them hiding behind a street vendor.

"_We must follow them and find out if they have any leads on Orochimaru" _Jiraiya ordered forgetting about his earlier plans to head to the Hot Spring.

They went on after the Akatsuki followed them through the streets until one of them turned his head and made eye contact with the Sannin.

"_They know we are after them..."_


	8. The Hyuga Prodigy

Hiashi Hyuga was standing by the window in his office staring into the distance, pensive as his pale eyes looked in the direction of his late brother's former house. It was not common for him to spend a second in idleness, but when the news of Neji having rejected the opportunity to take the Chunin Exams echoed in the halls of the Hyuga compound, he had to take a moment to mask the dumbfounded look off his face. After all, the Hyuga were _always_ to remain collected despite the circumstances and as the leader of the clan he held this motto in the highest of regards. His harsh demeanor condemned him to a life of solitude, even when being surrounded by his advisors most of the time. In a sense, he sympathized with his nephew and shared the same burden of being held in captivity- _A caged bird unable to fly and live life._ He was not just any member of the clan, he was _the_ Hyuga and as the clan leader he could not bring himself to identify with others, much less with individuals from the branch family.

-_Flashback-_

Hiashi's harsh demeanor made him unapproachable and deepened the numbness in his heart. The loneliness he held within consumed him day and night even after he had been blessed with two beautiful daughters. There was a lapse of time though, a missed opportunity that could have changed him when he finally experienced genuine joy in life. The day Hinata was born was one of the few instances where Hiashi had not been able to conceal his emotions as he finally had an heiress and the future looked hopeful, he was able to finally feel the warmth in his heart every time he saw the tiny girl; and right there and then, he swore that she would change the Hyuga. Although he could not partake in his daughter's displays of affection and her outbursts of excitement, he prided himself with having such a happy and vivacious child. _She takes after her mother, she couldn't have gotten that from him_ he thought smiling inwardly as he slowly realized how fatherhood might be changing him. The sketch of a perfect image of what her daughter would be like was being drawn in his mind: Hinata would be charismatic but assertive, selfless but strong and talented in the ways of the Hyuga; She seemed to display all the perfect qualities and balance a leader should have, in his mind, she would be the chosen one.

Unfortunately, those dreams and hopes for the future of the clan were short lived when his life took a sudden turn after he lost his brother Hizashi, the loss made him bitter and the old familiar concept of loneliness slowly returned to his heart. He had lost his most precious confidant the moment Hizashi decided to sacrifice his life, making him reevaluate his views on duty and setting aside whatever feelings had overpowered him before. Blow after blow alienated him from his family, in a span of two years, the clan leader had lost his brother and his wife, who died soon after giving birth to his second daughter Hanabi. She had not been able to recover from Hanabi's birth, leaving him with the future of the clan: His two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi and Neji, his nephew. Hiashi knew the children desperately sought the comfort they had lost after their parents' deaths and despite wishing he could provide it for them, he chose to stay loyal to the Hyuga and lead them with extreme discipline.

Neji's innate talents and Hinata's lack of strength further frustrated Hiashi. In his eyes, Hinata was meant to surpass even the most talented Hyuga warrior, she was to become head of the clan and lead them to greatness and yet, here was Neji, a branch family member eclipsing his daughter with his strength and perfect skills. His denial to these facts made him look like a fool in front of his own clan, but accepting that Neji was the prodigy of the family and not his daughter wounded his pride terribly because deep down in his heart, he _knew _that his younger brother had always been stronger than him and that Hizashi and his family should have been chosen to lead the clan. Neji's strength was a constant reminder of Hizashi's true right to lead the family. _The strongest one should have been the one to lead the Hyuga and not the eldest of the two. _Was the thought that kept him up at night. The anguish kept tugging at his heart but he was brave and he never showed it. Hiashi was a Hyuga and if he had learned anything from being molded into the clan leader was that a Hyuga would never expose their true feelings; so, his harsh personality along with the frustration towards his first born made him unapproachable and often come across as a cruel man.

Hinata's inability to succeed in combat was an unforgivable shortcoming, the fact that Neji easily surpassed her at a younger age granted her Hiashi's rejection and her title as successor was taken away and given to the more promising heir, the little Hanabi. Hiashi had carefully considered Neji to become the Hyuga leader, but the thought never escaped his mind. He knew this proposition would be rejected as soon as the words escaped his lips and decided against it without any further thought. He watched his nephew closely when the announcement was made among the clan, he had wondered if Neji would be expecting the recognition he deserved, if he even desired to become the heir, but his nephew was as good as him masking his true feelings, Neji's stoic face did not flinch when Hanabi was announced as new heiress.

Rumours had crept to the darkest corners of the Hyuga compound that the great leader was planning on rejecting Hinata as heiress. One would have thought that such a stern group of individuals would not indulge in gossip as much as they did. Thus whenever the news broke that Hanabi was to battle Hinata for the title as their father's successor, every member of the clan arrived at the main family's courtyard shocked that the elders and Hiashi himself had agreed on making the conflict so public. When the rumours reached Neji, he surprisingly found himself understanding Hiashi's discontent with Hinata's little progress and although he did not feel sympathy for her, he was curious as to what his uncle's next plan of action would be; he decided to watch his cousins sparring and as expected, Hanabi beat Hinata winning the title of heiress. He had watched the two of them train with their father and carefully studied and revised their techniques and moves, he knew their respective strengths and weaknesses and judging from what he had witnessed so far, Neji knew as well before the battle even began that Hanabi would win. Hinata was weak and undeserving of the title and although he disliked Hanabi as well, he thought she would be a better fit for the position. _Anybody would be better than Hinata, she would be a worthless leader. _His inability to bond with his uncle and the branch family left a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew his place as a branch member of the family and as such, he was meant to protect the leader of the clan with his life: an unfair destiny. Therefore, he believed Hanabi was more worthy of dying for, because at least he wouldn't die protecting a useless brat incapable of defending herself.

The elders and Hiashi gathered in his private quarters along with his daughters and Neji. He had wondered why he had been requested to attend, but given that he was there to represent his branch family, a duty his late father would be responsible of, he desired not to voice his concern. They were there to further discuss the events that took place that evening: Hinata's inability to lead the clan. Neji listened carefully as each of the elders expressed their concerns and in unison agreed for Hanabi to become her father's successor. He noticed his uncle glancing at him carefully making him feel uneasy; why would his uncle care for his opinion on this matter if he was a mere member of the branch family? He surely did not think that he would be expected to be appointed to such a title despite being the most talented Hyuga in the clan. If only he had been fated to lead the Hyuga, he wouldn't have been born in the branch family, but it was something he had long ago resigned to. He had made peace with that fact although it greatly alienated him from the main family and as the years passed by he grew bitter of the idea that Hiashi seemed to revel in his misery, in the helplessness he felt knowing his talents were in vain for not being part of the main family. If only Neji knew that his uncle was the one who understood him the most and who deep down inside recognized him as the most deserving of such title, and if only Hiashi knew that his own behavior had caused Hinata to doubt herself and to miserably fail him for placing so much pressure on her: Hinata's insecurities originated from Hiashi's high expectations of her. If only they were aware of their own actions.

-End of Flashback-

Hiashi was standing by the window in his office staring into the distance pensive as his pale eyes looked in the direction of his brother's former house when he saw the subject of his thoughts walking across the Hyuga gardens and decided to approach him. He needed to understand Neji's reasoning for rejecting the chunin exams, he had assumed that as prideful as Neji was he would have accepted the challenge, succeeded and become a Jonin soon after; Neji was meant to advance at a greater speed than any other Hyuga had and secretly expected him to surpass his chunin status just as quick as his father Hizashi had done in the past. He was proud of him for earning the title of top rookie of the year and secretly commended him for it. That was the extent of Hiashi's high regards of his young nephew although he would never show it.

Today had been a hectic day for Neji, he had spent most of the day training with his teammates and Guy sensei had made them run around Konoha's perimeter at least 7 times. As if his master's outrageous request hadn't been enough, he had been dragged to the BBQ restaurant to celebrate Rock Lee mastering a new gate on his eight gates jutsu and not being able to object he followed an overly excited pair of green beasts across town, but his patience had truly been tested when Lee happened to drink some of their sensei's sake causing Neji to battle the younger green beast of Konoha. Discovering Lee's inability to handle alcohol was one of the toughest lessons Team Guy had learned so far. The three young ninja and their sensei were sitting enjoying their meal when suddenly Lee reached out for his drink grabbing instead Guy's sake and drinking it. All it took was a couple of gulps to get him drunk, he suddenly stood up and to the surprise of his unsuspecting team he flipped the table. Tenten was sitting on the ground startled looking at lee while covered in food and the look of confusion arose in her brown eyes. Neji's quick reflexes helped him evade the drinks thrown at him while he glared at Lee and Guy sensei tried to hold him down as he was trying to make an escape to a nearby table. Lee had managed to trash the entire left side of the restaurant while he attempted to fight other customers dining, but his attempt to challenge other ninja on the opposite side of the restaurant was thwarted when both Neji and Guy managed to restrain him and get him out through the back door as Tenten profusely apologized to the owner while paying the bill. The whole ordeal had gotten them banned from the restaurant until further notice, but thanks to Neji's training in diplomatic protocols courtesy of the Hyuga clan, he was able to speak with the owners and advert the crisis to only get Lee temporarily banned for a couple of months. Describe how lee went rampant in the restaurant wanting to fight everybody and that it took both guy and neji wrestling him to control him and get him settled.

Neji decided to walk through the Hyuga gardens on his way back home, he would usually avoid the area to evade encounters with the main family despite being one of his favorite spots in the entire compound. It was there where he would spend most of the time with Hizashi, his father, walking through those gardens reminded him of the times he'd meditate with his father and the quietness and beauty of the beautiful shades of different flowers and their scents always mellowed his mood. Neji would always find himself in this spot when he needed to ponder about life and after having dealt with his dear friend's drunken rampage he found himself idly walking by the small pond flowing across the yard. It was a quiet night he thought taking in the view and enjoying the dry breeze rustling through the leaves. He was lost in his thoughts thinking about finally seeing Lee's true powers that evening at the restaurant and being baffled at how the alcohol had affected his friend. He started picking apart Lee's movements as if he was reliving the moment, _Who would have thought Lee would be a mean drunk? _Neji thought to himself chuckling quietly and shaking his head when he suddenly felt someone's presence approaching behind him and as he opened his eyes, the tall dark figure of his uncle appeared from the shadow of the darkening sky. The two locked eyes as the sky turned from orange to pink to purple and the moon emerged along with a few stars.

"_Hiashi Sama.." _He bowed his head as a sign of respect to his leader, a customary Hyuga procedure.

"_Neji, I'd like to have a word with you now" _Hiashi turned as his stern voice guided the young prodigy towards a bench by the pond.

Neji obliged warily not wanting to have a conflict with his uncle. He knew what his uncle could do to him in retaliation. He bore that reminder in his forehead since the age of 4.

"_Hiashi Sama, is there anything I can do for you?"_

"_I've heard from the elders that you have declined the Chunin Exams and I wish to know if this is a mockery or if you have a legitimate reason not to take them. I will not have the clan be humiliated with such actions." _He questioned Neji, harshness in his tone. Neji bit his lower lip and scowled at having to explain decisions he made for his own personal life.

"_I do not mean such disrespect, I declined the exam as I genuinely feel that my team and I would benefit from gaining more experience, it was a collective agreement", _He explained and seeing the unsatisfied look on his uncle's face he continued by giving him a brief description of team Guy's strengths and weaknesses. " _I personally know that with my talents, I will eventually become a Genin, so I prefer to take the time if it will benefit myself and my teammates." _He elaborated further, willing to converse more with his uncle.

"_Very well, I will let the elders know that you rejected the exams because your teammates were not sufficiently ready"_

"_But that isn't what I.."_

"_Enough! That is the official cause and nothing more, understood? Any other explanation will risk the Hyuga reputation." _Hiashi interrupted as he got up from his seat glaring at the younger Hyuga leaving in shock with his mouth wide open and unable to speak.

Neji sat there as his uncle's image disappeared into the night. His face felt hot and his throat was dry, he looked down at his hands and noticed them growing numb from involuntary clenching his fists during the conversation. His eyes were lost in the beauty of the flowers and he finally felt his body simmering down and realizing that it was thanks to Hinata that he was able to come and appreciate such peaceful environment, after all, the garden was referred to as Hianta's garden around the compound. In moments such as this one, Neji wondered what his father would have done in his place. He had heard before that Hizashi was highly regarded among the elders and other high profile figures in the family, he had the chance to witness his father's talents in combat because he had been old enough to train with him and witness him in action and such memories he was grateful for. But, he still wondered what his character was like, he wondered if he had made the right call on rejecting the Chunin exams and wondered how his father would have reacted. Despite not fully knowing, Neji had always tried his best to follow the faint example he had of his father, even when making decisions he thought his father would make if he were in his situation.

After speaking with Neji, Hiashi was unsure whether to be proud or disappointed about his nephew's decision and potentially shaming the clan. He thought of asking his nephew if he didn't believe himself to be strong enough to take such a simple exam, but a jab like such would have shown how spiteful he felt at the time of the conversation. He knew Neji was well aware of just how strong he was, even maybe stronger than Hiashi himself, but as the clan leader he still had to exert his dominance and decided to question him instead of commending him for being concerned about his teammates. The Hyuga leader started regretting the way he had reprimanded the young Hyuga and in fact, validated Neji's reasons to have turned down the opportunity, but he would never voice it in front of anybody. Hiashi was just as prideful as Neji was: _It must be a Hyuga thing, maybe we both yearn for that missing bond between us, maybe we both seek to fill the void Hizashi left, but is it even possible at this point?, _he thought to himself as he once again stood by the window in his office and saw his nephew walking towards his home.

* * *

Guy Sensei summoned his team to the same spot where they had first met. Today they weren't going to jump right into training since there was a more pressing matter in hand. It was that time of the year again and he couldn't be more excited for his youthful team to finally take part in the approaching endeavors. Once Neji, Tenten and Lee arrived in a timely matter he looked at them and couldn't find the words he had already planned to say to them. His pupils found it odd that he had arrived before them as they were all very punctual with the exception of their sensei, they watched as he stared at them with nothing to say until Lee broke the silence.

"_Guy Sensei! Why have you summoned us this early?"_ Lee asked somewhat concerned, he had been excited about training earlier than usual when he was first told to meet up with them, but this didn't seem to be the case.

"_What's wrong Sensei? Are you not feeling well? You never get anywhere on time and you were here before even Neji arrived" _Said Tenten as she glanced from her master to Neji and back. Neji simply crossed his arms to the mention of his name and laid back in his seat.

"_My dear..loving...and youthful students..I just can't believe how far you've all come. The power of youth is strong with you and I couldn't be more proud" _

Tears were appearing on both Guy's and Lee's eyes, Tenten frowned and Neji let out a sight.

"_The time has come. It's THAT time of the year again and I believe in my youthful heart that you three are ready now, NOT THAT YOU WEREN'T READY BEFORE..you..MY precious pupils know what I mean...Ehhhh what I am trying to say...ASK.."_

"_Guy Sensei! Slow down!"_ Interrupted Tenten somewhat frustrated.

"_The Chunin exams will be held in Konoha this year! And I know you three chose to skip them last year, but I wanted to ask, no no.. I was going to DEMAND you all to be a part of them this year! I know you three are more than ready! And I am so very excited to even think you three would finally participate! It has been my lifelong dream since last year to see you three excel and make me proud in these exams" _He finally explained sobbing at the end of his rambling.

"_Lifelong Dream..Since last year..?" _Neji arched his brow and shot him a suspicious look.

"_YES GUY SENSEI! WE ARE READY!"_ Lee jumped from his seat.

"_I believe that we are more than capable of beating all other teams and it's about time we were given a new challenge. This should be interesting."_ Neji added with a smirk on his face.

They all looked at Tenten expectantly waiting for her answer as she had been quiet after Guy had confessed the nature of the meeting. She glanced at the three of them and then stared at the horizon pensive, they all leaned in closer to her expecting a response.

"_Sign us up Guy Sensei! Team Guy will take on the Chunin Exams!"_ She exclaimed, a grin painted across her face from ear to ear and eyes closed.

Guy sensei was so delighted with his team's excitement he stumbled across the stairway missing a step as he ordered his team to start training for the exam. He could not wait to let his lifelong rival know that his team would be taking The Chunin Exams and decided that he would let him know after signing up his team with the Hokage. This was yet another challenge he had thought he would beat Kakashi at and was already tasting victory until he entered the Hokage's office. Guy found a very crowded building which was unusual, he saw his fellow comrades and other group leaders just as himself when he finally spotted him. _Kakashi_, the name emerged in his mind and Guy started chuckling as he walked in the direction where his rival was standing in his nonchalant pose reading one of his books. He was about to open his mouth when Sarutobi called him out for his late arrival to the meeting - In his excitement to let his team know about the Chunin exams he had forgotten he was summoned to the office the night prior- Sarutobi then addressed the entire crowd.

"_Now then, with the start of the Chunin Exams approaching. Let us first have those in charge of the rookie teams come forward." _Kurenai, Kakashi and Asuma took a few steps forward as he called out their names and Guy chuckled to himself at the thought of telling Kakashi that Team guy would be taking part of the exams before his.

"_Are there any genin in your teams you recommend for these exams? _The Hokage continued.

_It's too soon for any of them Sensei thought even if the teams had completed the appropriate number of missions to qualify for the exams. Guy was sheepishly grinning oblivious to what was going on._

"_I, Kakashi Hatake recommend the Kakashi squad, Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura for the Chunin Exam"_ Stated Kakashi then Kurenai and Asuma on queue recommending their own pupils.

Iruka Sensei gasped at the mention of these names, Guy sensei simply nodded with the same sheepish smile he had until he finally caught on to what was going on and let out a bigger gasp which nobody noticed Iruka had interrupted the meeting in opposition and the rest of the crowd whispered in shock that all three rookie teams would be participating.

"_Hokage Sama! Please just let me say one thing!"_ All eyes on Iruka Sensei now. "_This may be presumptuous, but as for the nine names that were just mentioned, I was in charge of them at the academy and while they all had great abilities, I believe it's too soon for them and they should be tested after gaining more experience!" _A flustered Iruka argued.

"_I became a Chunin when I was six years younger than Naruto is now" _Dully retorted Kakashi.

"_Naruto is different from you! Are you trying to crush them?!" _Argued Iruka dangerously approaching Kakashi.

"It'd be good teaching them a lesson. Trying to crush them would be interesting too". Joked Kakashi not giving in to the threat in the rookies' former sensei. "_But jokes aside, I understand what you want to say..'_

"_Kakashi, enough already" _Kurenai said in a failed attempt to stop the argument.

"_They are no longer your students, so stay out of this! Now they are __my _ _subordinates"_ Kakashi barked.

Iruka's face felt hot and he was trembling as he was biting his lip. It looked like a fight was about to break out between the two and Guy sensei couldn't be more amused at the situation in hand. Tension filled the room as the two were staring down at each other, Kurenai looked mostly annoyed but seemed not to want to take part in the argument, while Asuma looked ready to jump in between Kakashi and Iruka to join the fight if it ever broke out. But the Hokage finally decided to take the matter into his own hands and called Iruka to come closer to him. Sarutobi understood Iruka's concern about his former students, therefore he assigned him to prove they were worthy of taking the exams. He was to go to each of the rookies and test them to make sure they were all ready for the challenge, all the instructors agreed to the terms and the matter was resolved without any more conflict and to put Iruka's worries at ease, he was able to find for himself that all nine Genin had passed the preliminary exams he subjected them to.

News of the rookies taking the Chunin exams spread like wildfire around Konoha, the last time genins had taken the exams had been about five years ago. Some villagers commended the Hokage for implementing the Ninja training at the academy, while others disapproved because they believed the rookies to be too young and too weak to participate. There were many rumours originating from the idea that rookies would take the exams: Some believed that Konoha was running out of ninjas and the Hokage didn't have an option but to offer the Genin's. Other villages did not think Konoha was taking the exams seriously which created some tension. Whether good or bad, there wasn't a single soul who was not intrigued by these nine kids who had just graduated from the academy.

* * *

Back in the Hyuga compound, three shinobi found themselves tirelessly preparing for the exams in their secret training grounds hiding deep in the forest. A brunette haired kunoichi threw all her kunai knives to different targets hoping to perfect her aim, her two teammates watched her attentive as they discussed what their sensei had shared with them.

"_Have you heard? Rookies will be taking part in the Chunin of mouth is that Kakashi's team will be there...That's Guy sensei's rival._" Said Lee analyzing the target Tenten had just attacked.

"_No way… It's probably a battle of wills among the elders and the Hokage"_ The Kunoichi quickly dismissed the idea.

"_Well, that's interesting.. It'll be unfortunate to see them fail" _Neji's words escaped his mouth and a grim smile formed across his face. The sarcastic tone in his voice concurred with his teammates opinions as the unspoken goal of beating the rookies in the exam darted across their minds at the same time.

They formulated a plan to be discreet about their strengths to avoid putting a target on their back. Neji had concluded that the most logical thing for all the contestants to do was to either attack the strongest individuals or get rid of the weaklings first. Therefore,they decided to mask their talents to blend in the crowd, that way it would be easier for them to study their opponents and find out who their contenders would be.

The next day team Guy met outside the Academy to turn in their Chunin exam applications. They encountered a huge crowd of unfamiliar faces, most of them older and menacing looking but the three Konoha ninjas walked past them unfaced by their glares and threatening expressions. Neji scowled once he located the Cloud ninjas, and Tenten noticed as Neji pursed his lips and clenched his fists looking in their direction; she was always very perceptive of his antics, she had grown accustomed to his behavior after being his teammate for two years, they had actually grown closer to each other and he had been able to open up to her about his personal life, his rift with his clan and thus they had started to develop a bond. She stiffened as she saw Neji walking towards the Cloud ninja and hurried over to stop him not being able to think of a reason as to why he'd approach them unprovoked. Although he had shared some details of his life with her, he certainly hadn't told her about the Hyuga affair and the Cloud involvement in it. Lee was lost in the crowd oblivious of the tense situation about to unfold and just when Neji seemed unable to contain himself two young ninjas from Konoha called everyone's attention and Tenten was able to reach him and drag him to the front of the crowd where the two shinobi stood in front of a door. The brunette kunoichi advanced with caution when dragging her teammate by the arm, she knew that Neji never appreciated having his personal space invaded and she didn't know how he'd react by her actions. Fortunately, as soon as he felt her delicate touch on his shoulder to spin him around the opposite way, he felt himself ease off and his breathing became more even. He awkwardly unhooked her arm from his reassuring her he was his old collected self as they watched Lee approach the two Shinobi to let him enter the room.

"_Are you weaklings sure you want to take the exams with those skills?" _Asked one of the ninjas, a smug smile flashing across his face as he knocked down Lee to the ground. He pretended he was hurt just as team Guy had agreed on doing and Tenten quickly followed his lead and played along.

"_Please let us through"_ Innocence radiating from her eyes as she walked towards the other guard successfully hiding the rage burning inside her due to the treatment her team was getting and plotting she'd be able to convince them with sweet words, but instead received a punch in the face that also knocked her down next to her teammate.

Neji stoically observed the encounter, successfully containing his thirst to attack the hidden Cloud ninjas, he looked at his teammates now laying on the ground and he could see Tenten slowly getting agitated and hoping to now diffuse the situation before either Lee or Tenten would give themselves away he started to open his mouth to speak when he sensed a strong chakra approaching. Three new faces now stood next to his team and in front of the two guys guarding the door. Neji carefully studied the pink haired kunoichi, the blond rowdy boy, and the arrogant boy who now spoke.

"_You will let me through and you'll also break the barrier you've created with your Ninjutsu" _Said Sasuke approaching the guard who had attacked Tenten and was not berating the other ninjas.

The Hyuga prodigy observed the raven haired boy as he dangerously walked towards the two slightly older shinobi blocking the way. Neji and his team had realized they were caught in a Ninjutsu the moment they walked into the academy and didn't expect others would catch the ruse. He was caught off guard with the fact that a recent academy graduate would be smart enough to notice but again, Sasuke was named the top rookie at the academy just as Neji himself had been the year prior.

A fight between Sasuke and the guard was about to break out. Their powerful kicks about to make impact when Lee popped up in between both offenders and effortlessly stopped them mid action and blowing his cover. Sasuke stared perplexed at the bushy brow boy unable to understand how Lee had been able to catch his hit and stop it. _He stopped my kick! What is this chakra I feel in his arm? And the bruises he had before are starting to disappear rather quickly.. _Sasuke bit his lip now oblivious to his contender.

"_Lee, what happened with our agreement? You were the one who proposed to keep unwanted attention away from us.." _Neji looked over from Lee to team 7 arching his brow. If Neji and Tenten weren't judging their comrade for ruining the plan, they were definitely judging him after realizing the reason for all of it was to impress Sakura Haruno. All of that for a silly crush that would reject him over and over. Tenten shook his head in disapproval and Neji gave team seven the stink eye.

"_You there…" _The Hyuga called out pointing at Sasuke with his bandaged hand. "_Identify yourself, who are you?"_ Naruto watched the exchange of words between the two clan heirs while sulking the rejection he was now feeling. He had always liked to be the center of attention and the fact that he wasn't getting any recognition lately made him want to join a sulking Lee.

"_You should first introduce yourself when demanding to know someone else's name, don't you think?" _Sasuke said greeting his teeth from the irritation

"_You are a rookie, huh? How old are you? _Neji asked cooly.

"_I am not obliged to answer any of your questions"_

"_What did you just say to me?!"_ Neji's white eyes fixated on Sasuke's dark ones. It was right then and there they had a mutual unspoken agreement of rivalry. After all, it was in their nature since the two young shinobi came from the longest rivalry known in Konoha: The Hyuga vs. The Uchiha. He could not be more astonished that he, a Hyuga nonetheless would be disrespected in such a way.

Tenten was standing behind Neji and witnessed the exchange of words between the two clans. A small subtle smile was painted on her face, had she not been with an already irritated Neji she would have exploded in laughter. She struggled to keep her composure as the two went on and her cheeks were growing hot and turning a peachy color. _Sasuke is….Cuute AND Neji look cute when he is caught off guard! I wonder which rookie is stronger and who'd win a spar_. The girl intrigued by what was happening, decided to lay back and take in how Neji had finally met his match. She noticed how both Sasuke and her teammate were so much alike, pretentious, condescending and bossy. It was a sight she never thought she'd get to see and it had been funny watching Neji handle someone who acted so much like himself.

Neji would be looking forward to fighting Sasuke during the Chunin exams. A worthy opponent he'd be willing to take on, although he'd doubt the Uchiha would be able to beat him. So Far, Team Guy had their eyes on the last remaining Uchiha boy, the team from Sunagakure, and of course Neji's personal vendetta: The cloud ninja. Indeed, the Chunin exams would be brutal and they were looking forward to it.


End file.
